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Adelaida
2002
Syrah - Viking Estate. (barrel sample.) Nose of
dense dark fruit, with a mouthfeel to match. Off-sweet
fruit, with a long chewy finish.
Alban
1991
Roussanne. Lovely toasted wheat and grain scent.
Rich and tasty mouthfeel, long seamless finish.
1997
Lorraine Syrah. Slightly hi-toned, with a light
bing cherry quality to the smooth dark fruit.
2002
Seymour's Syrah. Beautifully balanced in nose and
mouth, with lots of black and red fruit, and a nice
chocolate-mocha edge to the mouthfeel.
Arrowood
1998
Syrah - Saralee's. Fascinating background floral
note to the dark fruit. Smooth and silky on the palate
- very nice balance. Co-fermented with 2% Viognier.
1997
Syrah - Saralee's. More noticably floral than the
'98, the dark fruit seems slightly more hi-toned as
a result. Rich and smooth on the palate, with a faint
touch of licorice. Co-fermented with 7% Viognier.
Ballentine
1997
Syrah - Estate. Beautiful nose, with lots of dark
fruit, and coffee grounds. Smooth and lightly spiced
mouthfeel, nice chocolate edge to the finish.
1998
Syrah - Estate. Similar to the '97 in aroma and
taste, the wine is a bit thinner in mouthfeel, but still
very nice.
1999
Syrah - Oakville. Although a bit spicier and more
brambly than the '97 & '98, this wine has a more
silky feel on the palate.
Bannockburn
1999
Shiraz. Slightly herbaceous, with a light vegetal
hint to the nose. Slightly balanced to the acid side,
with a hi-toned mouthfeel, and long finish.
Beckmen
2002
Beckmen Marsanne - Purisima. Light citrus and tropical
nose. Full and rich on the palate, with tasty long finish.
2001
Beckmen Cuvee Le Bec - Purisima. Lots of
Chateauneuf qualities in this blend, with a nice strawberry-raspberry
accent. Seamless on the palate, with a delcioius long
finish.
2002
Beckmen Grenache - Purisima. Ripe and rich nose
of raspberry and boysenberry, with a light floral quality.
fruit-filled, and spicy, with a very long finish.
Cayuse
1998
Syrah - Cobblestone. Spiced red and black fruit
in the nose. Big and chewy on the palate, with somewhat
hi-toned-pushing-tart fruit. Beautiful balance, and
very long finish. First vintage from this vineyard.
1999
Syrah - Cailloux. Mineral-laced dark fruit, with
a touch of licorice and tar. Smooth, with excellent
balance and long finish.
Cedarville
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Susan
Marks & Jonathan Lachs
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1998
Syrah. Blackberry meets boysenberry in the nose.
Medium-bodied red and black fruit, smooth mouthfeel,
and long finish.
1999
Syrah. Seems slightly darker in fruit than the '98,
with s bit more tarry aspects. Very nice.
Ch.
Ste. Michelle
1998
Syrah - Reserve. Smoky nose of dark fruit and roasted
meat. Very nice fruit and balance, and a long tasty
finish. 4% Cab Sauv.
1999
Syrah - Reserve. Darker and denser in both nose
and mouth, with less of the tarry and meaty qualities.
20% Cab Sauv.
Craiglee
1998
Shiraz. Here was a pleasant surprise. Big and burly
in nose and mouth, with lots of spicy fruit, smooth
and balanced mouthfeel and long finish.
d'Arenberg
2002
Shiraz - The Footbolt. Rich and spicy, with a jammy
middle, and a nice "kick" to the finish.
2000
Grenache - The Custodian. Loaded with strawberry
and dark cherry fruit, beautiful balance, light coffee-chocolate
to finish.
Dom.
Perrin
2000
Chateauneuf du Pape -"Les Sinards". Gobs
of fruit, beautiful balance, and long tasty finish.
This is French?
2001
Gigondas. Lots of floral aspects to the lightly
spiced fruit. Meaty mouthfeel, with a very nice balance
and finsh.
Eaglepoint
Ranch
2003
Grenache. (barrel sample.) Beautiful raspberry-strawberry
fruit in nose and mouth. Rich and tasty mouthfeel, very
long finish.
2002
Petite Sirah. Sweet and seductive in nose and mouth,
very chewy and jammy, with a very long clinging finish.
This wine ought to be the poster child for Petite Sirah.
Edmunds
St. John
2003
"Blood Rosé" - Bassetti. This saignee
of Syrah was beautifully dry, with lots of body and
a meaty texture and taste.
2001
Syrah - Wylie-Fenaughty. Fascinating tarry aspects
to bottling, with a light anise-asphalt quality and
nearly perfect balance.
2001
Syrah - Bassetti. My note starts with "Wow!"
Dark and minerally, with spicy dark fruit and a nice
licorice component. Beautiful!
2000
"Los Robles Viejos". This GSM (well, it's
actually an MSG) pumps out fruit through every pore.
Paso Robles' Rozet Vnyd is the source for this fruit,
and the blend seems perfect. Beautifully scented spiced
dark fruit, with a smooth, very well-balanced mouthfeel,
and slightly gripping finish.
2001
Syrah - Peay. Gorgeous smoky nose of blackberry
and sage. Full on the palate, with a smooth yet gripping
finish.
Edna
Valley
2003
Viognier. Delicate floral scent, with background
notes of pear and apple blossom. Moderate mouthfeel,
very good concentration of flavors and nice finish.
2002
Grenache - Estate. Lots of wild strawberry in the
nose, with a big body and lots of grip.
2002
Syrah - Estate. Light licorice and asphalt scent
to the blackberry nose. Tarry taste, with a nice smooth
mouthfeel and long finish.
2002
Petite Sirah - Estate. Surprisingly light in texture
and mouthfeel, yet still quite fruity. Pleasant, more
than profound.
Elderton
1999
"Command". Slightly sweet nose of blackberry
and clove, with a light chocolate edge. Rich smooth
mouthfeel, lots of layers, with a smooth long finish.
Fife
1995
"Max Cuvee". Exhibiting lovely bottle
bouquet, this 'kitchen sink' blend is coming along nicely.
Rich, smooth and very tasty, the red and black fruits
have melded together quite well.
Foxen
2002
Syrah - Tinaquaic. Lots of roasted hardwood and
meats, mingle with black fruit. Gripping on the palate,
with a plenty of chewy texture and very long finish.
2002
Syrah - Williamson-Dore. Ripe blackberry oozes from
the glass. Rich, very well-balanced, with huge long
finish.
2002
Cuvee Jean-Marie - Estate. Loaded with scents of
tar and herb, the thick chewy mouthfeel, seems filled
with smooth dark fruit, mouthfeel.
2003
Viognier LH. Debuting here, this late harvest Viognier
was the Hummer of LH Viogniers. Huge in both nose and
mouth, subtlety is NOT its middle name, and I'm sure
there will be some raised eyebrows. But, if you want
hedonistic, this is your ticket!
Fralich
2002
Claret of Syrah - Estate. Dry and lightly fruity,
this Claret has excellent balance, and slightly crisp
finish. The 5% Viognier blended into this wine seems
to have cut into the dark berry qualities, thought the
result is tasty. Enjoyable with shellfish.
2003
Claret of Syrah - Estate. More dark fruit-driven
than the '02, this Syrah has a little Viognier and Roussanne
blended into it. The result seem to impart an apple-like
quality, along with some toastiness.
2002
Syrah - Estate. Fermented with Viognier skins, the
floral quality does come through, giving this normally
ripe Syrah a nice counterpoint.
Frog
Pond
2000
Syrah - Fralich. Sweet ripe nose, moderate-full
mouthfeel, nice balance, and long finish.
2001
Syrah - Fralich. Sweet ripe blackberry nose, with
a touch of herbs. Fuller in mouthfeel than the '00,
with very nice balance and long finish.
Garretson
2002
Mourvedre "The Graosta". Ripe nose of
dark fruit, with a just a hint of chocolate. Plenty
of red and black fruit, smooth across the palate, very
nice balance, and long finish.
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Halter
2002
Syrah- Estate. Somewhat more hi-toned in nose and
mouth, there is a tartness to the fruit that makes the
wine seem less ripe.
2003
Syrah- Estate. A complete contrast to the '02. Beautiful
smoky blackberry, with a nice tarry scent, lots of chewy
fruit on the palate, and a very long seamless finish.
Hardy
1995
Shiraz - Eileen Hardy. Beautiful! Still plenty of
tar and asphalt aromas in the nose, smooth and silky
mouthfeel, and very long finish.
Havens
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Kathryn
& Michael Havens
|
2001
Syrah - Hudson. Lightly sweet licorice and blackberry,
with a touch of toast in the nose. Smooth and rich on
the palate, with a seamless finish. The addition of
2% Viognier is largely undetectable on its own, though
it is probably giving the wine some lift.
2001
Syrah - Napa. More tarry in aroma than its brethren,
this bottling seems slightly riper and sweeter, though
not quite as complex.
Hoage
2002
Syrah. Slightly closed in the nose, this wine opens
up completely in the mouth. Very ripe and rich on the
palate, with a huge dense chewy structure,a nd long
smooth finish.
Hug
Cellars
1997
Syrah - Alban. Big nose of blackberry and minerals.
Smooth fine-grained texture, and very long finish. Nice
stuff!
IO
1996
IO blend. Beautiful nose of red and black fruit,
with a touch of licorice and toast. Ripe and smooth
on the palate.
2003
Syrah - Ryan Rd. (barrel sample.) Deliciously dark
and tarry, this is the best yet from this property.
Jaboulet
2002
Tavel - "l'Espiegle". Nicely balanced,
moderate mouthfeel, semi-fruity.
2001
Crozes Hermitage - "Dom. de Ragmud Rovre".
Stinky nose, with a thinner than expected mouthfeel.
Ahem - Where's the fruit?
2001
Hermitage - "La Petite Chapelle". Nice
fruit-driven nose and mouthfeel. Very well balanced,
and long finish.
Jacob
Toft
2001
Syrah - Fralich. Nose of tar-laced fruit, with a
rich ripe mouthfeel. Chewy and plush on the palate,
with a long lightly swet finish.
Jory
1999
Syrah - Lion Oaks. Nose of bright mostly red fruit
in the nose, with a moderately chewy mouthfeel, and
long finish.
Kunin
Wines
2002
Syrah - SBC. Nose of blackberry and licorice, with
a very smooth and plush feel on the palate. Nice!
2002
Syrah - Alisos. Tarry, with bits of sage ana lavender
in the nose. Rich, ripe and meaty mouthfeel; packs more
intensity than the SBC version.
2002
Cordon Syrah. Central Coast Wine Services winemaker
Etienne Terlinden was also pouring his own label at
the Kunin table. Ripe and plush, with a nice smoky roasted
quality.
L'Aventure
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Stephan
Asseo &
John Alban
|
2001
Optimus. Rich and ripe nose of red and black berries.
Very well balanced, chewy mouthfeel, long finish.
2002
Syrah. Nose of tar and licorice, with a light floral
quality. Huge on the palate, with excellent balance
and long finish.
2003
Syrah. Seductively sweet nose of dark fruit. Smooth
tarry flavors, and excellent balance.
2002
Coté a Coté. Wow! This 60/40 blend
of Syrah and Grenache is loaded with dark fruit, edged
with chocolate-mocha aromas. Rich and jammy on the palate,
with chewy mouthfeel, and very long smooth finish.
Lagier
Meredith
2001
Syrah. Smooth and refined in both nose and mouth,
with a nice tarry and smoky quality. Beautifully balanced,
with seamless long finish.
Lewis
2002
Syrah - Napa Valley. (barrel sample.) Nose of blackberry
cocoa, and a touch of vanilla. Ripe and smooth, fleshy
and chewy, and balanced very nicely.
Loxton
1999
Syrah - Timbervine Ranch. Nose of blackberry with
a very nice blueberry and pepper accent. Full mouthfeel,
rich fruit and long finish. Nice stuff!
Maloy
O'Neil
2002
"Lexicon". Somewhat stinky in the nose,
with a moderate mouthfeel, and fruity finish.
2002
Syrah. Sweet nose and mouthfeel. Nice grip on the
palate, well-balanced, with a very long finish.
2002
Petite Sirah. Slight black pepper quality to the
dense dark nose. Huge and somewhat sweet on the palate,
yet seems one-dimensional.
McCrea
2002
Counoise - Ciel du Cheval Vnyd, Red Mtn. Mostly
blueberry nose, with a touch of red fruit. Rich and
sweet mouthfeel, very good balance, a bit tart through
the long smooth finish.
2002
Mourvedre - Ciel du Cheval Vnyd, Red Mtn. Nose of
bright, mostly red fruit, with a touch of leather. Rich
on the palate, slightly tart flavors, very tasty long
finish.
2002
Sirocco - Wash. State. A Syrah-based blend
, with Grenache, Mourvedre, and Counoise. Nose of red
and black fruit, with background notes of rare meat,
floral scents, and a bit of stem. Very well balanced,
lovely texture and palate-feel, picks up a bit of grip
during the off-sweet smooth long finish.
2001
Syrah - Boushey 'Grand Coté' Vnyd, Yakima Valley.
Nice aromatics here, with a gamey quality to the dark
fruit, and additional notes of anise and tar. Ripe,
very well-balanced, very, very long finish.
2001
Syrah - Ciel du Cheval Vnyd, Red Mtn. Mineral-laced
nose, with a gamey or musky scent, and touches of herb
and chalk. Very concentrated mouthfeel, delicious fruit,
excellent balance, and very long finish.
2001
Syrah Cuveé Orleans - Yakima Valley.
Sweet ripe nose of red and black fruit, with a light
apple-stem scent. Sweet medium-full mouthfeel, with
plenty of fruit, a touch of anise and tar, and a very
smooth, very long finish. Also very tasty! Co-fermented
with 6-8% Viognier - which seems surprisingly well-hidden
in the dark fruit.
Meridian
2002
Syrah - SBC Reserve. Interesting accents of clove,
spice, and herbs in the nose pump up the nose. Moderately
full mouthfeel, very good, but relatively simple flavors.
2000
Syrah - Paso Robles Reserve. Very nice, with lots
of spice and cracked pepper adding to the ripe sweet
fruit. Full and rich on the palate, with a nice long
finish.
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Michael
Michaud
|
Michaud
2001
Syrah - Chalone. Elegant nose, with light smoky
aromas, and a light floral quality. Smooth and silky
on the palate, with a nice long finish.
2002
Syrah - Chalone. Floral tones accent the light tar
and smoke scents. Very well balanced, and tasty long
finish.
Morgan
2002
Coté du Crows. This Syrah-Grenache blend
has plenty of fruit, very nice balance and long tasty
finish.
2001
Syrah - Tierra Mar. Fascinating nose of dark fruit,
cinnamon and nutmeg. Rich on the palate, very tasty,
with a nice lolng finish.
2001
Syrah. Tar-laced dark fruit, with a light pepper
quality. Full and chewy mouthfeel, and long delicious
finish.
Neyers
1999
Syrah - Hudson. Nose of dark berry and toast. Rich
mouthfeel, very nice balance, long finish.
Ojai
1996
Syrah - Bien Nacido. Now sporting some bottle bouquet,
the nose was slightly stinky. Still plenty of dark fruit
and spice. Full mouthfeel, smooth and seductive on the
palate, very long finish.
2000
Syrah - Bien Nacido. Beautiful nose of smoked and
roasted meats accent the black fruits. Full, ripe and
rich on the palate, chewy texture, fabulous balance,
and very long finish.
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GRENACHE
:
2003
Eaglepoint
2000 d'Arenberg
SYRAH
:
2002 Alban - Seymour's
2001 Edmunds St. John - Bassetti
2001 Edmunds St. John - Peay
2001 McCrea - Boushey
2001 Morgan - Tierra Mar
2000 Ojai - Bien Nacido
1998 Qupé - Bien Nacido Reserve
2001 Red Car The Table
2002 Roar
RHÔNE
BLENDS :
2002
L'Aventure Coté a Coté
2002 Rideau Chateau Duplantier
OTHER
NOTABLES :
1991
Alban Rousssanne
2003 Foxen LH Viognier
2002 Garretson Mourvedre Graosta
2002
McCrea Mourvedre
2001 Silver Mourvedre - Larner
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Ortman
2001
Syrah - SLO. Nice black fruit in the nose. Nicely
balanced, moderately full on the palate, long finish.
I'm not sure if they were striking for a "claret
style" here, but the wine comes off as a little
underfilled.
2002
Syrah - SLO. Bigger framed than the '01, this is
similar similar in profile, but just has more stuffing.
Peay
2002
Roussanne/Marsanne - Estate. Beautiful melding of
these varietals. Light toast, citron, and crushed herbs
accent the meatiness in the nose. Rich on the palate,
with excellent balance and long finish.
2002
Syrah - Estate. Nice smoky accents to the dark fruit
with touches of pepper and sage. Full on the palate,
very nice balance, and a gripping finish.
Qupe
1998
Syrah - Bien Nacido Reserve. Beautiful nose of dark
fruit with fully integrated smoked and roasted notes.
Still rich and ripe on the palate, with lots of chewy
texture, excellent balance, and very tasty finish.
2002
HdR Syrah. Fabulous nose of chocolate-laced black
fruit, with a touch of sage. Full and rich in mouthfeel,
excellent balance, and very long smooth finish.
Red
Car
2002
Syrah - "Sugar Daddy". Ripe and smooth
in the nose. Plush, ripe and tasty, with soft balance,
and very smooth finish.
2002
Syrah - "The Fight". Nose of dark fruit
and spice. Ripe and rich on the palate, with a smooth
long finish.
2002
Syrah - "The Table". Nice roasted accents
to the dark fruit. Chewy structure, very nice balance
and very long finish.
Renard
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Bayard
Fox
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1999
Syrah - Napa. Lots of tar and chocolate accent the
blackberry fruit. Smooth and full on the palate, with
a rich tasting finish.
Rideau
2003
Viognier - Estate. Ripe and crisp, with plenty of
fruit, excellent balance and a very long finish.
2003
Roussanne. Slightly sweet fruit, with a nice toasted
grain quality. Very flavorful and rich on the palate,
with nice long finish.
2002
Syrah - Estate. Nose of blackberry, smoke and tar,
with a light anise nuance. Very nice balance, texture,
and finish.
2002
"Chateau Duplantier". Smoky and tar-infused
nose. Meaty and chewy on the palate, excellent balance
and very long finish. Very nice!
2002
Mourvedre. Slightly gamey nose of red and black
fruit. Medium-full on the palate, with nice flavors
and long finish. Something of a claret-style in body.
2003
Syrah - Estate. Very spice-scented nose of black
fruit, the clove and allspice really punch this up a
notch. Full and rich on the palate, very good balance,
and nice long finish.
Roar
2002
Syrah - SLH. Coffee, espresso, and tar...Oh My!
This won't be everybody's favorite kind of Syrah, but
it certainly is one of mine. Thick and rich, but beautifully
balanced,and tasty to the max!
Rocca
2000
Syrah. Nose of black fruit, with accents of coffee,
tar and toasted grain. Moderately full mouthfeel, with
a nice smooth texture, and long finish.
Rockblock
1999
Syrah. Nose of black fruit, and tar. Nice meaty
mouthfeel , terrific balance, the wine tightens up just
a bit on the otherwise long finish.
Saxum
2002
Syrah - Broken Stones. Nose of black and red fruit,
with a very nice ripeness. Full and rich on the palate,
with lots of spice, blackberry, and and a touch of vanilla.
About 90% Syrah from various Justin Smith-managed vineyards.
2002
Syrah - Bone Rock. Nose of blackberry anise, sage,
and tar. Plenty of dark fruit on the palate, a full
rich mouthfeel, and very smooth long finish.
Sierra
Vista
1985
Syrah. Here was a revelation! I wasn't expecting
much here, but the fruit is still pumping away, like
some dependable oil well. Touches of bacon and leather
accent the dark fruit in both nose and mouth.
Silver
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Benjamin
Silver
|
2001
Mourvedre - Larner. Nose of smoky black fruit with
light tar. Meaty in texture, with excellent balance,
a delicious core of fruit, and long smooth finish.
2001
Syrah-Mourvedre - Larner. This 70/30 blend of Syrah-Mourvedre
has a nose of roasted coffee, dark fruit, smoked meat,
and herbs. Full mouthfeel, plenty of chewy fruit, light
tarry qualities, excellent balance, and long finish.
Tablas
Creek Vineyard
2002
Cote de Tablas Blanc. Light peach, and pear aromas
in the nose. Slightly crisp mouthfeel, excellent balance,
very nice finish.
2002
Roussanne. Lots of floral and honey comb in the
nose. Sweetned grapefruit flavor, chewy mouthfeel, toasty
long finish.
2003
Rose. Floral accents to the meaty nose, with just
a touch of toasted grain. Very nice berry flavors, with
a crisp fleshy finish.
2003
Glenrose Vnyd. The concept here with this GSM blend
was to have the Tablas clone fruit grown in a neighboring
vineyard, then bring in the fruit to Tables Creek for
vinification by the ususal methods - thus providing
a "terroir-only" difference in the wine. I
found the wine slightly riper and sweeter and more interesting
on the front end and mid-palate, than TC's version.
I preferred the finish to the TC version.
Terre
Rouge
1997
Syrah - Sentinel Oak. Nice tarry aspects to the
black fruit, along with hints of leather and bacon.
Full on the palate, excellent balance, and very long
finish.
Torbreck
2002
"Juveniles". Rich sweet nose. Large concentration
of fruit on the palate, and a very long finish.
2001
"The Steading". Smoke and tar-infused
nose. Rich and chewy, with sweet succulent fruit, and
a very long finish.
2002
"The Struie". Exceptionally ripe in the
nose, with a pungent background note (VA?). Tasty, with
a very nice balance and long finish.
2001
"The Factor". Nose of blackberry and a
touch of chocolate. Big and chewy mouthfeel, sweet-sour
fruit, excellent balance, very long finish.
2002
"Descendant". Light floral scent to the
dark fruit. Not particularly large-framed, but this
is a beautifully spicy mouthfull of wine.
2001
"Run Rig". Back in production after its
'00 declassification, this beautiful spicy ripe nose
has a light floral scent. Very spicy and toasty on the
palate, with seamless flavors and texture, and a very
long smooth finish.
Truchard
Vineyards
2001
Syrah. Very "French-like" in nose and
mouth, this wine is fruit-forward, yet beautifully balanced
in both nose and mouth.
Victor
Hugo
2000
Syrah - Estate. Very ripe blackberry nose. Slightly
sweet mouthfeel, getting a bit Porty in taste and finish.
Villa
Creek
2002
Garnacha. Rich slightly sweet raspberry nose. Full
and chewy mouthfeel, with a smooth long finish.
2002
Mas de Maha. The Tempranillo really drives the mid-range
of this wine. Spicy and thoroughly tasty blend.
White
Hawk
2001
Syrah - Estate. Beautiful nose of blackberry and
gamey scents, and a touch of smoked sage. Big and chewy
in mouthfeel, with a long smooth finish.
Zaca
Mesa Winery
2001
"Z Cuvee". This mostly Grenache-based
wine has lots of ripe fruit, very nice balance, and
long tasty finish.
2001
Syrah "The Mesa O & N". The name comes
from a combination of old and new vineyard fruit sources.
Big, ripe and rich in both nose and mouth, this wine
delivers a lot of dense fruit, combined with nuances
of herb and floral components.
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