Ron Siegel

9.4

Always a treat to drink this with notes of dark cherry, berry, meat, iron, spice, licorice, graphite, tobacco & violets. — 3 months ago

Brad Jensen

9.4

Musk, Holly berries and bramble, pine needles, iron, velvet, driftwood, hints of coffee and bold red meat. There’s berries in there, red, lush, ripe and dark, but it’s so well integrated into the perfume (and it is perfume) that it’s impossible to separate them. Like a thin spread of preserves and dank basement. Palate has that lean nature of Syrah, between medium and light bodied, tannins present, but molded well into the palate, not ostentatious. Lush, silky dark red and black fruits roll forth, along with some charcoal, graphite, blood, and iron. — 8 months ago

with Tiva

Shay A

9.4

For planning purposes of something in the future, I tasted 2014 central coast Syrahs from high end producers blind. Along with the Lillian (my bottle), there was SQN, Andremily, Torrin Akasha, Booker Fracture, Alban Reva and Alban Lorraine.

First off, I love these wines. The price in comparison to the others is impressive, and it always delivers. I double decanted this about two hours prior to the blind tasting. Dark purple in the glass, with aromatics of both sweet oak as well as whole cluster stem inclusion. Loads of dark floral notes, ripe blackberries, cherry jerky and that kiss of sweet oak. The palate remained the same from opening through the end of the blind tasting…a distinctly fuzzy profile on the palate with gorgeous mid palate depth and richness of blue and black fruits with plenty of herbal flair and spice. It toes the line between cool climate Syrah with their signature black peppercorn and iron, as well as big central coast Rhône style with its rich and textural palate. No rush on opening, but it sure is great now.

Out of the 7 in the lineup, this was the “cheapest”, and tied for 3rd place (with the Andremily being the runaway favorite, Alban Lorraine taking second, and this tying the SQN). — 5 years ago

Matt

9.6

Hot iron, iodine, olive tapenade, beef, creosote, curing salt, pink peppercorn, talcum, garrigue, scorched earth, granite, black raspberry liquor, grapefruit, crushed cherry, creme de cassis, rose petals. Ripe, full of flesh with sinew to back it up, found the balance quite remarkable here. The sun and warmth is felt in the generosity, but the tannins and acidity are well within reason. Granite and iron still at its core. — 6 years ago

Joseph Barsky

9.7

2013 Vintage. 15.7% Alcohol. Monster fruit with violets, iron, blueberries and lush mouthfeel. Loved it. — 7 years ago

Lee Lightfoot

9.5

Dark intense rich iron metal herbs and still needs 10 years. — 7 years ago

with Ben

Shay A

9.4

This was one of my contributions from Friday evening. I slow oxed this for 4hrs prior to serving at the recommendation of @Bill Bender ...glad I took that advice. Wasn’t so shocked at how powerful this was as I was how it was still tightly wound. The fruit is coming from the “funk” part of the region (not sure if it’s Rocks district or not), and while there is some herbal and savory notes up front, there is plenty of fruit (albeit underripe)...blackberry, black cherry and smoked plum on the nose. Great acidity. The mid palate has a streak of herbs de Provence down the middle wrapped in inky dark fruit before turning more savory (roasted game meat-like) at the finish, but not funky/iron driven like I get with Cayuse. — 7 years ago

with Mark, Weston and 1 other

Conrad Green

9.6

Meat, deep herby fruit, iron and intense purity. Great structure, intensity and complexity. A feral, savory and engaging wine. Fantastic stuff. Still young — 3 months ago

with David

Ed Chin

9.3

What a difference a little time and air makes 🤪. A little game a little iron and pepper and black fruit that became more expressive as time passed. Light and elegant. I think I got lucky. — a year ago

Severn G

9.6

The weekend upon us and we're hosting another dinner party for a couple of friends. Tonight's theme was Rhone wine, so good stuff on deck, with age.

Notes pending... (Entertaining guests first 😉)

Absolutely perfect, yet only coming into it's zone, decade to go here...

Notes from +24H open:
Nose has ripe cherry, dried cherry, dried blackberry, red velvet cake, ripe plum and dry, mineral-ly earth.

Palate has silky-sweet cherry, ripe red currant, (light) cigar wrapper, dried cherry, faint eucalyptus, faint wood notes, dry earth, faint iron notes on the long finish. Mild tannins persist today. Expect to enjoy this vintage another +10Y when held in proper storage.

This bottle was singing at the top of its register last night, slightly diminished today. Absolutely perfect cork, no Durand required for extraction. Acquired a mere two years ago, from a local retailer beginning to close down his shop. He purchased a case on release, stored in his cold cellar; when I got to hunting it only a single bottle remained.

I've had the 2000 vintage before, and it was a treat in a more youthful stage, but a delicacy with our meal last night. We baked a 3lb beef tenderloin (Kinderhook Farm; Valatie, NY) coated in an herb paste then an herbed panko crumb crust with parmesan. About a 50m cook, 30m rest yeilded a perfect 130° center. Served alongside smashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts with thick cut bacon. We had fantastic company, connecting again with a wine trade friend and his wife after a few years break in our dining schedules. — 5 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.5

Color - dark purple garnet. A bold expressive funky perfume fruit nose so classic of Cayuse with mineral-meat, smokey and mint notes lingering with a vanilla toast scent. Juicy and elegant; rich with dark plum-cherry flavors intertwined with a smokey soil bacon bitters taste—the mineral-iron characteristics follow with a tobacco long finish. Looking forward to seeing how the flavors change with different foods and as the wine opens up. Bionic Frog is favorite and definitely a wine to try and store in your cellar. Christophe Baron does it again! — 6 years ago

with Karin and Jill

Brendan Baker

9.1

Surprisingly young, red fruited, iron, floral, high acid ⚡️ — 7 years ago

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. — 6 months ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.3

Very approachable and seamless. Dark fruits, iron, terracotta, citrus. Chapoutier always delivers serious wines. — 2 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Great SJ that was elegant & floral that reminded me a lot of Gonon less the $$$ This had lots dark fruits, meat, iron, savory spice, black olive, pepper, licorice & violet. — 5 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Really enjoyed this wine which had boatloads of meat, blood, iron & mineral with dark berry fruits, spice, black olive, pepper & violet. — 6 years ago

Jake Hajer

9.3

A year later, even better- beef blood, iron, brandied cherries, plum, Five spice, strawberry, green peppercorn, sunshine on a forest floor. Macerated. — 6 years ago

Erin Sales

9.0

Syrah, cinsault. Very enjoyable. Dark fruits. Ligt spice. Easy to drink. More ish — 6 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.5

Beautiful vintage for Clape that is open & drinking well showing black cherry, kirsch, pepper, iron, licorice & violet. — 7 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Delicious Crozes! Showing perfumed aromatics of black cherry, meat, iron, blood, olive, pepper, leather, earth, & violet. Would love to obtain more but it seems that very little arrives in the US. — 7 years ago