Syrah Blend

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

Hermitage Syrah 2004

Presented to me double-blind. The wine pours a brilliant, deep ruby color with a transparent core and some rim variation; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and faint signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with a heady perfume of mostly ripe and some tart fruit: mixed brambles, black cherry, purple flowers (lavender?), animale, some pepper, a touch of olive, a touch of leather, some green herbs, fine warm spices and rocky earth. I believe this has seen oak and it’s beautifully balanced and smells expensive. 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 and the texture is grippy. This is delicious.

Initial conclusions: this could be Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Gamay, a Grenache-based blend or possibly Syrah; from Italy, or France. Immediately after I was presented the glass, I liked this being Sangiovese, however, there was too much new French oak for me to feel comfortable. Besides, the florals were too purple to be Sangiovese anyway (never mind Grenache or Pinot Noir). Then there were the non-fruits: it could be justified by whole cluster Pinot or Gamay…or was this a really impressive Syrah? This wine seemed familiar to me. This could be Chave. I did think this had some age based on color and rim variation. Final conclusion: I’m calling this Syrah, from France, from Northern Rhône, Hermitage, with 20+ years of age, from a decent vintage like 2004. And for the hell if it, I called producer: Jean-Louis Chave. Boom. Bottle No. 3981
— a month ago

Dave, Tom and 19 others liked this
Jay Kline

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@Lyle Fass I wonder if climate change has something to do with it? Anyway, I’m holding out hope that the 2021 vintage brings it back to the old school. First impressions seem promising
Lyle Fass

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@Jay Kline the greeks say he got modern starting in 2005.
Jay Kline

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@Lyle Fass they seem well enough placed to know. Dang.

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1985

No formal notes . Quite deep ruby , garnet , thin garnet rim . This is quite open and aromatic , with a spicy , herbaceous cassis , truffle , tobacco , grafite hints , very classic and serious but also really attention grabbing . On the palate this is quite rounded and juicy for Las Cases , good mineral , grafite tinged cassis , quite fine but present tannins , balanced acidity with a tobacco tinged finished and pretty good length . Drinking well now but also can go a while yet, perhaps over the next 10 or so years . — 5 days ago

Dave, Bob and 12 others liked this

Bollinger

Special Cuvée Brut Champagne Blend

QPR hard to beat. Just a really good Champagne — a day ago

Dick, Ted and 10 others liked this

Château Rayas

Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grenache Blend 2005

I’ve been fortunate to consume several bottles of this legend. However, this was the first bottle that did not have me babbling to my dinner guests. All the Rayas traits; elegance , pure fruit , spice were present just not oversized. — 4 hours ago

Andrew, Jay and 8 others liked this
Jay Kline

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Think it was the bottle? The setting? Mood?
Ira Schwartz

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@Jay Kline It wss a good setting, gave it about an hour in the decanter. Drank along side the Soldera mini- vertical.

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Pretty deep garnet ruby , garnet rim . This is pretty open and aromatic, with smoky creme de cassis , grafite , blackberry and cedar , light herbal touches , really quite classic and noble . On the palate this has good balance and density , good freshness also . Ripe , very fine but perceptible tannins . Dark fruits , grafite , tobacco , long and detailed slightly mineral notes on the good length finish . Really elegant , though quite serious and traditional, not easy to pull off. This is drinking perfectly now (Coravin might have helped here , I would certainly decant if I had a full bottle) , though still quite fruit driven with some tertiary complexity coming through . Really harmonious and complex . From now and over the next 15 years, maybe more . At Doppo Restaurant, Soho . — 9 days ago

Tom, Dave and 15 others liked this
David White

David White

Wow 🚀 that was an exciting line up of wines and it seems like the Pichon, Brunello and Lynch Bages were the cream of the crop
Somm David T

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Had one of mine two years ago. Didn’t think it was ready like a lot 2000’s I’ve had so far. Think it is either a forever vintage or just not living up to the hype of 2000? Cheers! 🍷
Andrew Cullimore

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I thought this was really quite excellent @Somm David T , it did seem quite open , though this might be to do with it being under Coravin.. I would certainly decant for a while if opening a bottle . Or alternatively leaving for another 5-10 years will do no harm at all . One of the better 2000s I have had , in some ways it is a bit of a hit or miss vintage .. but the peaks are very high . Hope you enjoy your other bottles !

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2012

Somm David T
9.3

From 375ml.

A very good Rhone producer visited in 2015.

At pop & pour, the fruits almost had a mid berry bubble gum character. That toned down almost immediately. Fruits are ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, baked plums, raspberries, dark cherries, juicy strawberries, chocolate bar to fudge, grilled, smoked meats, black pepper, dark spice, nutmeg, clove, iron pan, black tea, a touch of rubber toy, slight tarriness, dry herbs, roasted chestnuts, tobacco leaf, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, hints of mint, dark, red flowers, violet’s, nice acidity with a well balanced-structured, stiffly tensioned with a lush finish that lasts 90 seconds and lands on earthiness & spice.

Plenty of life left in this 2012, even in 375ml.
— 14 days ago

Jay, Scott@Mister and 18 others liked this

The Prisoner Wine Company

The Prisoner Napa Valley Zinfandel Blend

Deep ruby color and great nose. Velvety on palate with rich dark fruits. Soft tannins and a lasting finish. Good blend of Zin, Cab, Petite Syrah, and Syrah. — 18 days ago

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia

Bolgheri Red Bordeaux Blend 2003

+1 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A splendid medium dark garnet color. On the nose: perfumed notes of red fruit, herbaceous, eucalyptus, mushroom, smoked meat, ripe olives, sweet tobacco. Taste: rich, velvety full wine with brambly dark cherry/plum, coffee, dark chocolate, orange peel, and a peppery- dried herbs- gamey long finish. YUM! A nicely aged and elegant wine with soft tannins and good acidity!! — a day ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Ira and 11 others liked this

Krug

Brut Champagne Blend 2003

Rounded and plush. Hints of cherry, bread, stone. A little lacking in vivacity in the mid palate. Rounded. — 10 days ago

Douglas, Bob and 8 others liked this

Château Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

+2 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment) A beautiful deep ruby red color. On the nose: Expressive nose captivates with dark red fruit, espresso, chocolate, floral, menthol, sweet tobacco. Taste: rich, round, intense wine with dark cherry/blackberry, minerals, cedar, tobacco, and a peppery-pencil lead-dried herb long dry finish. YUM! A brilliant wine just entering its drinking window with time to go. — 9 hours ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Tom, Brenda and 12 others liked this