Ryan Vento

9.8

Birthday celebration for @Cody Uzzel at Lucio’s with a bunch of friends. All wines (except sparklers) tasted blind.
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Another one of my contributions. WOTN for sure. When the dinner got planned for Cody I just knew the time had come to kill off this 🦄. During the work week my wife goes home for lunch, so on the day of the dinner I had her open this bad boy and put it in a decanter. Fast forward 8+ hours later and it was still a little tight when first sampling it over dinner. However, the insane part was that it evolved at a mind-blowing rate, dropping its guard and unleashing a payload of fragrance that absolutely shocked people. The whole table was fixated and enamored with this wine and it only got better as the night progressed. Drank beautifully with a heavily perfumed nose of musk, sandalwood, tonka, red fruits, and granite. True craftsmanship, such finesse and power. This was an ethereal experience. — 5 days ago

with Krystal and Cody

Daniel Maquin

8.9

Pepper and blackberry nose plus a bit of garrigue. Rather typical and to the point. The palate is very balanced with strong acid and a nice matter rolling along the palate with a bit of a gamey, meaty touch in the end with a saline note. I like the thickness and the layers of the palate : bright blackberry, some tannins before the end, some meat juice too. The finish lingers a bit with the meaty and salty notes fading quicker and leaving the stage to a bright blackberry. You cannot dislike this! — 4 days ago

Mike R

9.5

Love these guys @Joe Lucca @Shawn R @David L as part of the Wine nerd herd and we get together ever so often

About to post more wines that are from the event

We met last week at Iowa and had a blast

This is not a picture of the wine but we enjoyed the Saxum in a mag with a great dinner at 801 chop house

To the next tine gents - drink well and miss you already — 12 hours ago

with Aaron, Joe and 4 others

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.6

The 2016 'Foothills Reserve' is an absolutely phenomenal wine that is truly one of the most compelling wines from Washington State. The nose takes on an incredible range of aromatics, from blood orange, to charcuterie to black fruits and olive tapenade which constantly bring you back to the glass for more. The palate shows remarkable freshness and intensity as flavors of Asian spice, Hoisin sauce, black tea, blackberry pie and wet stone characters all come to play. There is a seamless quality to this wine that glides through the palate showing wonderful freshness and and lift as it enters the highly refined finish. Outstanding now, however I expect this wine will cellar marvelously over the next decade.Drink 2019-2029- 96 — 5 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

The nose shows; big jammy dark fruits with a hint of smoke and burned ambers. Blackberries, dark cherries, plum, blueberries, black raspberries liqueur notes, vanilla, light black pepper, heavily steep dark fruit tea, touch of caramel and mocha with red and dark fresh and withering florals.

The body is medium for Syrah but, the tannins, are dry, firm, meaty and sticky. The structure, length, tension and balance are good but, need a few more years to develop into better. Blackberries, dark cherries, plum, blueberries, black raspberries liqueur notes, vanilla, light black pepper, smoke, grilled meats, dry herbs, leathery, tobacco leaf, heavily steep dark fruit tea, touch of caramel and mocha with red and dark fresh and withering florals. The acidy is good. The finish is nice. It runs ripe, juicy fruit to dry tannins.

Photos of, their Syrah vines on the back of their property. This is where we first heard the Classical music they play to their vines, front property signs, their grounds with the manmade water reserve for irrigation. — 11 days ago

Ellen Clifford

9.2

Fascinating. If I were blinded on it I might think it was a Grenache. It’s silky and elegant and just when you think it’s all fruit and flowers you swirl your glass one more time and a black olive catapults out. Not because you utilized physics to get an object out of a glass without inverting it. Sorry. But the smell of olives is like the chaser to the bouquet. So essentially if syrah were a goth martini (black olive garnish) it would be this but one the higher vermouth percentage scale. Please try it. — 9 days ago

"Odedi"

8.9

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

On the nose, blueberries, strawberries, currants, vanilla, oak, tobacco, spices, bitter herbs, vegetables, wet leaves, licorice and black pepper.

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

Dry on the palate with blueberries, plums, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, bitter herbs, spices, dark coffee, pencil lead, earth, vegetables and black pepper.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very enjoyable Syrah from Walla Walla Valley in Washington State. Nicely balanced and earthy, with an elegant mouthfeel. Not as spicy as i except it to be.

Feels like a southern Rhône blend, more than a new world wine.

Needs 90 minutes to open up properly.

A blend of 88% Syrah and 12% Grenache. Aged in 100% French Oak barrels (16% new).

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$30. — 8 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

The nose reveals, jammy red & blue fruits. Blackberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries & dark cherries. Black pepper, black licorice, dark rich earth, vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, mocha, dark, rich earth, light spice, brilliant, lavender, violets, dark and red fresh florals.

The body is full with meaty, dry, powdery, sticky tannins. The mouthfeel is gorgeous. Blackberrie, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries & dark cherries. Black pepper, black licorice, dark rich earth, vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, mocha, dark, rich earth, light spice, brilliant, lavender, violets, dark and red fresh florals. Amazing acid. The finish is balanced, ripe, sexy and gorgeous.

Photos of; Gabrielskloof Cellar Door courtyard, Estate vines, decomposed Granitic soils the vines grow in and the entrance to Gabrielskloof. — 8 days ago

Shawn R

9.6

Had the chance to drink both the 12 and 13 with Matt Reynvaan of this special offering. Wine was aged 24 months in a combination of 600L Puncheon and neutral French barrels then rested for another 36 months in the bottle. Wild game, smoke and blood sausage on the nose. I found no edges on palate, yet I do find this wine to be nicely balanced in regards to acid and tannins with very little manipulation from Matt. 12 slightly edged out the 13. — a month ago

Joyce Lin

9.0

This is a 100 % organic Syrah grown on decomposed granite hillsides in Saint Joseph, displaying violet, ripe black fruits with hint of dried blueberry, black pepper and vanilla. Slightly musky, dusty, med plus body with great acidity and med plus tannin. A wonderful Saint Joseph has depth, structure, and fruitiness. — 20 days ago