Hermitage Syrah

A bit too big fir us but flavorful. Lil Brett too.

Nose of black fruit compote and clay led a rich, almost hedonistic blend of dark red fruit and smoky brisket. Long, smooth finish loaded with fine tannins. Superb.

Dark tawny, opaque. Nice meaty nose with notes of black fruit, moist dark soil, some menthol and some slate stone. Soft and delicate in the mouth, with no tannins or rough edges. This is at peak or just a bit past... but a nice drinker right now. Good effort for the vintage.

Murky dark tawny. Opaque. Exotic nose. Notes of black fruit, menthol, smoked meat, some bacon and some spice. Rich and luscious in the mouth. Tasted blind one might guess La La. Great juice that is still early in its journey.

Still young. Thick, some gnarly notes. Pretty intense. Decent

Monthly WTF wine group meet up. This month is new world vs old world Rhône’s. All wines tasted blind. 3 flights.

Drinking really nice right now. Black peppercorn spice, roasted dark red and black fruits, and some smoked meat. Didn’t pick up a lot of iron. Smooth. Good acidity and tannin. Thanks @Bill Makens

Tawny color, opaque. Interesting but not (as in the past) flamboyant nose. Notes of ripe black cherries, rhubarb, pepper and a little menthol. At first this is dull but with a couple hours of air it blossoms and you get rich silky fruit matched against a great pucker of acidity. Thought this bottle looked beat up and was maybe not as good as past examples. I was wrong. Plenty of life ahead of it.

I don't drink enough Rhône wines and so it is always a joy to explore the region more deeply. This wine was a little past its best but fascinated for its bacon fats, fleshy taste. It became less gamey in the glass over time, revealing dark fruits and a good balance. Though a little long in the tooth, it is hard to imagine a better wine with the giant pork chop that was a standout choice on the menu.

This was so much fun. A dark and savory wine in a very sexy way. Peppercorns, meat, roasted blackberries, crushed violets, leather and smoke. I really expected more oak but this was very integrated.

Still young and vibrant on the palate. Earthy, mushroomy with compote, spicy aromatics.