David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Impressive cork after 21 years in bottle. $45 on the secondary market.

Amazing purple, red & blue perfume florals on the nose upon cork pull. Ripe, creamy; blackberries, dark cherries, mulberries, black raspberries, black plums, raspberries, dry cranberries & plums. Mid dark spice, black pepper, clove, cinnamon, vanillin, purple fruit cola, light sweet tarriness, dry crushed rock powder, limestone minerals & steep fruit teas.

The palate & wine are still very solid but, better served 4-5 years ago when it was still peaking. Round, soft, powdery tannins. Ripe, creamy; blackberries, dark cherries, mulberries, black raspberries, black plums, raspberries, dry cranberries & plums. Mid dark spice, black pepper, clove, cinnamon stick, vanillin, saddle-wood, purple fruit cola, light sweet tarriness, forest floor with dry leaves, dry crushed rock powder, limestone minerals, used charcoal, moist clay & steep fruit teas. Amazing ruby & slightly candied purple, red & blue perfume florals. The acidy is a gentle rain shower. The finish is; lush, ruby, elegant, well balanced fruit & earth that slides juicy fruits to earth & spice & persists nicely for minutes. Wine flows beautiful elegance wire to wire.

Treat to drink Joseph Phelps wine at this age.

Excellent back in the day 13.5% ABV that I appreciate & miss!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve. 🍁🦃🍽 🎃 — 7 days ago

Jean-Francois Pelletier

9.6

1989 Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. I was concerned a bit initially when I noticed a little bit of seepage, but I think it was just a dry cork, as I can attest for the full provenance of the bottle. Color was great with barely any bricking, a lively and bright garnet. A little closed at first but after some time in the decanter it blossomed into a stunning wine. Dried red and dark fruit, leather, roasted meat and black pepper. Very balanced and persists in the mouth for a while. While it shows beautifully now, it is just beginning to enter its drinking window. — 6 days ago

with Frankie

Matthew Cohen

9.4

Nose has that old burgundy water on hot brick aromatic. Deep really dense violets. Complex. Wow. Stunningly aromatic.

Palate is sweet succulent fruit. Sweet cherries. Incredible. So juicy. A hint of cherry licorice. A hint of balsamic but not unpleasant. Lovely old classy richness. Tastes old and expensive.

Bought from fass selections. — 6 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

Terrific nose. Blueberries, dark blackberry, granite and clay. Really compelling and deep. Herbs, red velvet cake. So nuanced and elegant. Refined, clear and precise. what vivid blueberries. Palate is ripe and rich, delicious granite and concentrated tiny berry red fruits. Refined and so granite driven. Elegant and deep. Needs to open and it will. This is old school and will unfold. Will be back.

This greatly improved overnight and it really needed excess air as all of the Pinheiro wines need. Big smokey blueberries and massive granite on the nose lead way to spice flowers, clay and blackberries. Some hints of desiccated blackberry as well. Palate is round, ripe and creamy. Delicious, complex and concentrated fruit and amazing purity. Finish seems still a bit closed but wow what a wine. Really clean and balanced but still holding back. Such fine tannins. From 9.2 to 9.3. — 20 hours ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.8

The 2018 ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Syrah is one of the wines of the vintage from this famed estate. Due to the shade of the vineyard, this is a later ripening vineyard for their program which allows them to utilize roughly 70-80% stem inclusion in this wine. They also choose not to use any new oak on the wine, only used demi-muid aging. Weighing in at 13.8% alcohol, this provides immediate appeal with its downright intoxicating bouquet, delivering loads of white pepper woven together with steak tartare, cigar ash tones as well as Hoisin sauce, Umami and menthol that all meld in the glass. The aromatic range here is extraordinary. The textural elements of the wine are just gorgeous. The 2018 edition displays more mid-palate weight than the ’17 bottling but also embodies plenty of finesse. Rich ripe dark cherry and dark raspberry tones mingle with wet stone, seaweed, green olive tapenade, and salted meats on the palate. This finishes exceedingly long. Gratifying to enjoy in its youth, this sensational wine will cellar well over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2020-2030- 98 — 5 days ago

A. R.

9.2

This is what natural wine is supposed to taste like. Insanely young, almost has a barrel-sample level of fruit. On the nose, lilacs, blackberries. In the mouth, bright fresh jasmine and lilac, blackberry juice, acid. Medium tannins, medium-long finish. Excellent, pure example of Syrah and shows what California Syrah can be - ie St Joseph/hermitage with a twist. — 5 days ago

Mario Vaillancourt

9.2

Just received, pop and pour just to taste one, rich, lush and powerful, with time in the glass and a harsh decant, it opens beautifully to aromas of Syrah such as pepper, violets and that incredible floral scent, very nice even if way too young and with the oak that is a little too present for now. 91-92 for the potential

Dès réception, j’en ouvre une, bien que beaucoup trop jeune. C’est très bon malgré tout, très Syrah après un peu d’air et un coup de carafe sans ménagement, violettes et poivre. Certes le bois est très présent pour l’instant. Puissant et structuré, texture riche, superbe potentiel, content d’en avoir accumulé plusieurs. 91-92+ pour le potentiel. — 11 days ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Deep purple in color with a purplish rim.

Fruity nose with cooked plums, cherries, wood, light vanilla, light vegetables, earth, tobacco, dark chocolates, spices and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black plums, blackcurrants, oak, spices, vanilla, tobacco, coffee, chocolates, bitter herbs and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a juicy Syrah from Mendocino County in California. Drinking very nicely now with lots of fruits. Nicely balanced with a nice, soft mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, but better after a couple of hours of airtime, when the complexity comes in.

This Single Vineyard is spicy and interesting. Rich and powerful. A good quality California Syrah.

Still young and would be nice to revisit it in 5 years, although very approachable now.

A nice collaboration between an American wine maker and a Northern Rhone wine maker . A small production of only 300 cases.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$65. — 7 days ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.8

This is now the second time in the past year that I have been able to sample the 2012 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah. Wild blackberry compote and Umami tones combine with green olives and Hoisin sauce with smoked duck on the nose. The gorgeous aromatics bring you back to the glass for more enjoyment. Once on the palate the seamless texture really impresses. Layers of roasted figs and boysenberry collide with minerals, lemon rind, smoked brisket, milk chocolate and dried sage with a light dusting of white pepper on this complex palate. This is extremely complex and delicious Syrah to sit and deconstruct. Either way, if you are sitting with this wine, consider yourself very lucky. Still fresh and vibrant, with good weight, the 2012 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah will enjoy at least another eight years ahead of it. But why wait? Drink 2020-2028- 98 — 3 days ago

ESF

9.2

Took a shot at the last dusty bottle on the shelf - call it an homage to @"Odedi" - ended up being stunning: inky opaque dark dense & mysterious... after more than an hour (and throughout rest of night & next day) finally yielding generous blackberry, plum, black cherry and an absolute slew of authentic secondary notes of mineral, saddle leather, tobacco, menthol, meat, white pepper - so complex. Old World. Thick rich broad across palate, lingering finish. This wine had me grinning ear to ear - especially @ $18! — 2 days ago