Absolutely spectacular. Elegant, well balanced, beautiful notes of dark fruit, specifically picking up black currant and chocolate. Wow! — 11 years ago
Delicious treat. — 11 years ago
What a treat! Beyond. — 12 years ago
Chave Rouge 06. Plenty of heat and a little oak too it seems (could be wrong). Oak will integrate, heat is surprising. Serious peppered beef and teriyaki jerky. Some black red fruit - black cherry. Hints of jello tease overripeness but this remains sharp and poignant. The pure jello influenced fruit makes me think few stems here, too. Oak seems to present itself not as vanilla thankfully but in a beautiful hazelnut quality that matches the fruit perfectly and uniquely to syrah. Again, this could be something else other than oak. This definitely shows some jello/jelly, no doubt. Totally ripe red cherry actually. Importantly, this has no heaviness in terms of weight or thickness yet is pungently aromatic as first, smoked, peppered meat and second as fruit. This wine makes me think of, all in the same vein, concrete vats, minerality and tiny berries. The teriyaki quality makes me think these are high toast barrels? This should continue to integrate better and better over the coming years. I can't say I ever got the "bacon fat" thing before in N Rhone but this really has Benton's bacon fat to it. Amazing all this umami while still maintaining a bright ripe red-fruited cherry core. Prefer the '06 Jamet right now for its lower alcohol but certainly love the transparency and uniqueness of flavor here. This is likely a bit more structured than the Jamet. Again, I think time will treat this well. This is dried meat while the Jamet was about the long pepper spice. So interesting how different these expressions of syrah are. — 11 years ago
Real depth and power in this wine. Less aromatic fireworks than the RSV but still very beautiful. Needs at least a couple if hours or air to get going. A real treat! — 12 years ago
Mike Saviage

A true treat. Old. No effervescence. But has some cut and spine still. Long finish. A St. Francis hotel liquor store sticker on it. Drinking history. — 11 years ago