"Odedi"

9.0

Deep purple in color and cloudy, with a short reddish /brick rim.

Beautiful nose of blueberries, black plums, vanilla, wood, spices, forest floor, tobacco leaf, wet cave, medicine, vegetables, black pepper, acetone, old leather and earth.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, raspberries, wood, licorice, earth, spices, peppercorn, leather, smoke, dark coffee, earth, wet leaves, herbs, vinaigrette and vegetables.

Medium plus on the finish with sour cherries and fine grained tannins.

This 9 year old Syrah from Russian River Valley is still drinking nicely, although on the way out.

Unbalanced with a nice mouthfeel and nice complexity.

Good right out of the bottle and died after 90 minutes of airtime. After 60 minutes tannins come out.

I really liked the nose more than the palate, and loved smelling on it.

I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

14.3% alcohol by volume. Unfiltered.

90 points.

$75. — 7 hours ago

"Odedi"

9.2

This is a nice surprise. A great Syrah from Sonoma County. Drinks like an old world wine. More like a right bank Bordeaux.

Showing red and black fruits with earth, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices chocolates, tobacco, coke, graphite, light vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly and remove some of the acidity.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.

Very smooth and elegant mouthfeel.

This 10 year old is drinking very nicely now. Peaking now. I have to drink my other bottle soon.

A blend of 85% Syrah and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. A tiny production of 55 cases.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$45. — 8 days ago

Ely Cohn

9.1

The famed wine that @Antonio Galloni scored 100 points last year. Pax invented this style - whole cluster and zero oak California Syrah nodding Saint Joseph. So concentrated you’ll stain your hands removing the cork. But not overextracted. Picked early with salty metallic wild sour blackberries, rosemary, and lavender. Youthful but still very raw. Complex today but will benefit from a few years to soften the sour green.

Bought two. One for today, one for tomorrow. — 7 days ago

Roman Sukley

9.5

2013 Sami-Odi Syrah DW-OLD
Thought I’d open something from my favorite Australian producer, @fraser_mckinley, in honor of the start of the Formula 1 Season in Melbourne. (Nice start for my man Max Verstappen and the new Red Bull partnership with Honda). My first and only bottle of the 2013, decanted for 3 hours. 14.4% alcohol. It appears a deep, dark, black hole in the Zalto stem. Nose of dark berries, clove-and-cinnamon and dried fruits, with some forest floor and floral notes in the background. On the palate, rich dark fruits with a cedary tannin. Wonderful acidity. Full-bodied, fresh, rich and complex. Lengthy finish. My recollection is that Fraser told me that 2013 was a difficult year with the entire first fruit being destroyed by frost, and then there was a second set. Always amazes me that these challenging years always seem to produce the most memorable vintages. I’m a big fan of Fraser’s work. — a day ago

Mason Balistreri

Sommelier, International Wine Guild; Balistreri Vineyard; Sales, Joy Wine and Spirits

9.4

This really reminds me of some of the more natural Cote Rotie producers I've tasted (especially Jean Michel Stephan). Mint, eucyliptus leads the nose with white pepper and subtle bloody meat notes. On the palate, very subtle tropical fruit notes (almost like pineapple and strawberry) but subtle. Plenty of meatiness and herbal quality on the palate too. Ideal wine for lamb. In a really good, soft and easy drinking stage for the 2011 vintage. — 9 hours ago

Jasmine Hirsch

Sales & Marketing Hirsch Vineyards, founder In Pursuit of Balance

9.7

Greatest bottle of Jamet I’ve had in a long time.
I don’t have much experience with the 2000 vintage. I don’t recall it being so utterly spectacular as this bottle. The only other Jamet that has come close in terms of pleasure is the 1995. But whereas that vintage is characterized by beauty, elegance and bright red fruit, the 2000 was all iron, blood, dark fruit, and savage energy. — 4 days ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Tawny and translucent. Great nose right away. Notes of black cherry, slate, blueberries, iron and a little menthol. Rich and silky in the mouth. Some structure but soft and delicate too. Balanced and has a nice sweet fruit element. Just missing a little oomph in the finish. At peak and won’t benefit from more age. — 4 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

Brutally young but why not? Nose of granite and tons of soil and dark informed black fruit. Really compelling mineral and such a sense of deepness. Man this is young. But awesome. As it opens, clay and floral, wet soil, man is this complex. Whirling. Palate is a beast but also so so refined and complex. Balance is terrific and the depth is Melville like. Herman that is. Dark pure fruit and wonderful acidity and freshness and a finish that does not quit. Wow. Superb concentration and tiny berry fruit intensity. — 4 days ago

Chris England

9.3

From their entry level Côte Rôtie through to their top one (this one) this domaine makes superb wines 😍 This is a stunner of a Rôtie that’s oh so smooth & superbly elegant @ £106 & drinking well now but tons of age here 😉 give 2-3 hours to open 💨

📍Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin La Landonne Côte-Rôtie 2012

🏵 94 points w/ more potential 👍

🍇 100% Syrah

🍷 Opaque deep ruby

👃 Dry cured peppered bacon & spiced blackberry bramble bush cola w/ rich herby earthy olive tapenade, red cherry, smoke, farmyard, clay, light mineral, soft gravel & wet dirty oak

👄 Med+ body of incredibly smooth earthy creamy blackberry & red cherry w/ light cocoa, black olive, mineral & raspberry undertone

🎯 Long, slight mineral dry, blackberry, ripe red + dark cherry & earthy creamy olive silky kiss — 9 days ago

Matt Lasater

9.3

Damn this is really coming around, seems to have settled in since LBT. More clarity, more definition and high-toned perfume. Definitely has gained more cohesiveness and length on the palate too. Explosive ripe/just kissing the jam side of things fruit; blackberry, huckleberry, hint of blueberry, and apricots. Loads of sweet licorice and powdered sugar, sweet cinnamon, violet pastille, rosemary blossom, candied olives, baked stones, sweet meat. Feel like this really starting to express ‘15 vintage character too — 6 days ago