by Jenise » Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:15 pm
I posted a few TNS from this tasting the other day, but am reposting this more complete and accurate version as I found my notes.
2014 Tensley Syrah Santa Barbara County
Mine. Great California expression of syrah--bouyantly sweet berry fruit grounded by racy acidity. Delightful.
2010 Southard Syrah Columbia Valley
Very worthy new world version of an old world style syrah. In peak form now.
2015 Saint-Cosme St. Joseph Syrah
Tim's. Really good. Absolutely bench mark style St. Joe and a good cellar candidate.
2012 Domaine Lionnet Cornas Terre Brûlée Syrah
Vic's. Lots of funk with a black olives, plum fruit and burnt rubber. Very good.
2014 Cowhorn Syrah 8 Applegate Valley, Oregon
Gabe's. Kind of flat initially, seems to lack acidity, flavors of loganberry and bay leaf. Where some of the new world wines this evening could pass for French, this one didn't.
2012 W.T. Vintners Syrah Les Collines Vineyard Block 30 Walla Walla Valley
Doran's. Funky. Someone said "Head Shop".
2016 Domaine des Lises Crozes-Hermitage Équinoxe Syrah
Mark's. Super barnyardy, too much so for my tastes, with orange rind and green olives.
2009 Cave de Tain l'Hermitage St. Joseph Esprit de Granit Syrah
Mine. Different and better than the bottle earlier this week. More evolved with some satisfying earthiness.
2016 Stolpman Syrah Ballard Canyon
Tim's. Flintstone vitamins, sweet and heavy, fairly ripe leaning toward goopy, a monster.
2007 Patrick & Christophe Bonnefond Côte-Rôtie Syrah
Bart's. Plums and coffee grounds with no persistence in the glass. Fading fast. Must have been an off bottle as recent notes from others are more flattering.
2015 Domaine des Ouleb Thaleb Syrah Syrocco Zenata
Mark's. Friendly, stemmy black fruit with notes of cactus pear. Very different style of syrah, doesn't resemble any other wine this night. Someone said "Chilean" to which someone else said "but better".
2009 Cave de Tain l'Hermitage St. Joseph Esprit de Granit Syrah
Mine. Tasty, correct flavors of St. Joe with a juicy exuberance of the vintage and hints of dark chocolate. Refined on the palate, but not much left in the way of tannins. Drink up sooner than later.
2014 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône-Brézème Syrah
Bright, fresh and user-friendly, though a bit less welming than other vintages I've had.
2002 Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz Mast Rare Reserve Block Victoria
Doran's. Here's the anti-Mollydooker, a graceful and structured syrah that can (and did) pass for a Northern Rhone in a blind tasting. Peppery, lovely raspberry fruit. Reads a bit younger than it actually is, which bodes well for further cellaring. The 'drink by' projection on CT (2016, I think it was) is way off, this will easily make it 2025 and beyond. A WOTN for many.
2003 Penfolds Shiraz St. Henri South Australia
Mine. Big ripe fruit manages to dodge the sappiness that plagues so many Aussies. Boysenberries, sweet roasted tomatoes and a hint of sage put on a great show at a tasting of mostly French syrahs. Quite a feat.
2006 Elegie Côte-Rôtie Syrah
Mine. Surprisingly good. Mushrooms, truffles and mint with seductive spice and leather. Mostly tertiary, more like a 20 year old wine, with a lightly metallic note on the finish. Everybody loved it.
2004 M. Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne Syrah
Mine. Taupe-y red with decent flavors but there's not a lot of life left in this wine.
2011 Hedges Family Estate Les Gosses Vineyard, Cuvée Marcel Dupont Red Mountain Syrah
Vic's. Black color, vivid flavors of roast ham, black olives, sandalwood, celery root and green herb with an especially silky texture. Generous on the palate; perfect for current drinking.
2012 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah In the Rocks Walla Walla Valley
Decanted one hour. Very good fruit redolent with green olives and Rocks funk. Some tannins were evident, suggesting that this wine might well have a longer cellar life than previously thought. Definitely stood out among 20 bottles at an all-syrah tasting.
2004 M. Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne Syrah
Brown, muddy. Way OTH. But a second bottle was allright.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov