Jay Kline

9.6

Presented to me double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep garnet/purple with an opaque core and some moderate rim variation; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with beautiful notes of ripe and slightly dried black and blue fruits: dark brambles, plum, fig, purple flowers, leather ball glove, something spicy and green that has me debating between rotundone or pyrazines (but which?), rocky earth and fine baking warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Alcohol is medium. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. What a beautifully made wine.

Initial conclusions: this could be Cabernet Sauvignon (or a blend with associated Bordeaux varieties), Cabernet Franc, Merlot (blended with associated Bordeaux varieties) or Syrah from France, the US or Australia. This is older; probably 20+ years of age based on the secondary characteristics or dried fruit and old leather. While the fruit plays a starring role here, the alcohol seems almost modest so I can’t place this in Australia or the US. The problem I’m having, are there pyrazines or rotundone? I don’t get a lot of black pepper or animale, or olive for that matter…so I’m leaning towards this being Bordeaux. Final conclusion: this is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine with a blend of Bordeaux varieties, from France, Bordeaux, Pulliac, from a classified growth, 2004. Whoa!!! 2005 Clape?! What a treat! I feel like I should have nailed this wine. Alas…I still have to get better at differentiating between pyrazines and rotundone with age. Drink now with a decant, through 2045+ — 2 days ago

Shay A

9.5

94-95

This was one of the wines I served for my annual WWC hosting. All wines served blind.

93 syrah/ 7 viognier

The third syrah in my lineup was a wine I've enjoyed a few times over the last five years. Bangin' vintage and in a style I enjoy (syrah and vio). Purple-black in the glass, it offers up killer aromatics of rich, dark fruit, some baking spice, and smoked meat. Even with nearly four hours, this was a monster in structure with tannin that paired beautifully with an herb crusted lamb rack. Powerful on the palate with smoked berries, bacon, espresso, vanilla and a savory finish. Still on the upswing with lots of wonderful Cote-Rotie fireworks in store. Wish I had another! — 2 months ago

Elle Cantrell

9.2

Bold, fruity, with a tinge of acidity. Not too sweet — 25 days ago

Carter Snead

9.3

At The Wharf in Grand Cayman — a month ago

with Leigh

Sam Friedland

8.9

Pleasant, dry and gentle Rasberries. — 2 months ago

romo

9.4

Anti-roast, all tart cherry and white pepper, gentle tannin, faint horse hair. Wow. — 3 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2023 vintage. Banging, as usual, for the price and foes far beyond. 6.24.26. — 10 days ago

Scott E. Becker

9.2

[Tasted on July 2, 2026 at Home]
— 2 days ago

Diane Ramcharan

9.7

Finally opening this one up! — 2 days ago

with Michael

Maggie Harrison

9.7

2022, figgy, plum with undertones of bacon at first open. very elegant and soft on palate. beautiful. about 4 hrs later- decanted. change? more mineral, tannins are showing more now than at opening. dried fig, meaty. bolder fruit on back end of palate thru the finish. iron on finish. drinking great but more time would certainly be better. — a month ago

David Dorn

9.0

Full bodied zen- very nice wine. It was better with some air so let it breath — a month ago

Joe DAscoli

9.3

Pretty good. Kicked off a lot of sediment

Great structure and opened up to reveal the fruit after 30 mins to an hour — 2 months ago

Jake Hajer

9.2

Clean fruit. Mixed peppercorn. Tasty old world Syrah. — 2 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Dark red cherry, berry fruit with notes of meat, savory spices, licorice, violets & tobacco — 13 days ago

Austin Hohnke

9.0

100% Syrah showing opaque purple in the glass. Inky and aromatic with pepper and pomegranate. Killer pairing for ribeye au poivre in Torrey, Utah. 14.5% abv. but not hot. — 5 days ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

vintage 2015 | spicy, pepper, morelcherries, strict, good acidity — a month ago

David Samples

10

Beyond beautiful! Immediately soft upon opening—had planned to decant for 4-6 hours but decided against. Open and had small taste with Maggie Harrison around noon. Decided to re-cork it and decanted at 4PM.
At noon I got (very unexpected) cranberry notes on the nose and the palate was considerably more gentle than expected.

After two hour decant: Soft (cat tongue), integrated tannins, pomegranate, black cherry begins to emerge. Herbs, smoky/meaty notes emerge


Tasted: 5.20.26
Attendees: Mark Cerimele, Maggie Harrison, Steve Pfancuff, Lorne McClelland, Andy McCray, Denise Casino, Randy Nelson — a month ago

mike cust

9.4

It was great buy more — a month ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Dark fruits with notes of meat, graphite, spice, licorice, mineral & violets — 2 months ago

Erica Gamble

9.2

Lots going on with this wine. Progression from light to dark fruit to tart, slightly sour finish. Dried cherry, forest floor, acidic. — 2 months ago