Joseph Phelps, Syrah, Napa Valley

Nose was very aromatic and pleasant. Pallet up front was filled with ripe dark fruit - jammy, followed by the acid qualities of the wine with the expressive tannins that led to a spice filled finish. Had this wine with Persia food and the fruit forward wine was so complimentary!

2009 vintage

Better than first bottle

2009 vintage

PnP... fruit is muted on the nose but more present on the palate. a hint of licorice and black cherry. A little tart on the finish... maybe a little bit of acidity and a hint of tannins. Still enjoyable, but not likely to get better.

2009 vintage

Distinctively Napa Syrah - fruit forward but pleasant to drink.

2009 vintage

Quite impressed how this has held up. Little fruit however BIG on everything else. Well aged, quite palatable. Smokey, large and commanding on the palette. Quite impressive for its age. Well cellared from birth.

2007 vintage

Quite surprised how well kept this bottle stayed. Smokiness, thick mouthfeel, still some fruit in the background. Quite impressive.

2005 vintage

well cellared for life......brought to room temp. once uncorked, presented tight. left in glass for 30 minutes...opened nicely. Dry, smooth hints of fruit and complexity. tobacco, cedar box notes, hint of tar. Pencil lead. After open for an hour completely changed and blossomed into a beautiful shining star. thicker/viscous mouthfeels, medium to long finish. very enjoyable.

2007 vintage

Clear deep ruby color. Clean nose of medium intensity with aromas of blueberry, vanilla, dried cranberries, tomato leaf, white pepper, wine is developing. on the palate, it is dry with medium acidity, medium tannins, high alcohol, medium body, medium flavor intensity of black plums, vanilla, leather, prunes, hint of chocolate, cured meat, the finish is medium minus. Good quality wine, drink now or can be aged further, but, there is not enough complexity and intensity to make it worthwhile for …

2009 vintage

Solid, a little too much alcohol, but tannins have mellowed. Drinking well now.

2009 vintage

This is long past the peak....no berries, lots of alcohol smell and taste....decanted for 1.5 hours

2009 vintage

Starts out sour and disjointed...needs a full 2 hours to begin to integrate...fading berries, plum, spice. not sure much more will happen here with age.

2007 vintage

??? Was actually a 2006... presume both magnums were 2006...

2007 vintage

Was even better on day two as the tannins erased. If you are drinking this now, let it decant for at least 2 hours. Dark, smooth and solid fruit.

2005 vintage

Massive, inky purple, big tannins, dark brooding fruit, spicy, and hot... If you love muscular, high octane this is for you.

2009 vintage

Last wine of Traci new job night

2007 vintage

From magnum. Massive wood tannins.

2009 vintage

Lovely complexity on the nose, but noticeable alcohol. Needs a lot of air to fill out- plan on a 3 hour decant.

2009 vintage

Initially sour and biting, opened up on second day to a more approachable wine. While wine was good, a bit disappointing given the price point.

2009 vintage

A well-made Syrah that delivers what you would expect at this price point - and not much more. Dark ruby red in color, full in body, nose of cherry and pepper. Tastes of plum, spice, and meat, with a round and mouth-coating finish. 15% alcohol. A decent wine that, if not worth seeking out, is worth drinking if you happen across it. Will last a year or two more, but it is drinking well now.

2009 vintage

Very dark, literally black when I poured it. Pretty intense, could feel a little of the alcohol in it which is 15%.

2009 vintage

(No detailed notes) - clearly need decanting - had 3 hours. Dark, dark red and rich. Not ultra spicy (which I enjoyed). Tannins 7/10

2009 vintage

Rich purple fruit and white pepper on the nose. Palate is similar with the addition of a little lavender on the finish. Good residual tannins and a little tartness too. Holding up well still.

2007 vintage

This wine has a nose of leather, cedar, blackberries, and slate. The tannins are bold and long on the dry finish. It is really, really pleasant drinking.

2007 vintage

Out of balance with heat and tannin more notable. Still with good intensity.

2009 vintage

Double Blind Pinot Tasting at T&T's (Tina's House) : Impressions: appeared visually similar to grape juice. Nose was grapey and alcohol was noticeable. Very tight, some herbs, very tannic, red fruits, needs time. Was a wild card at a double blind Pinot tasting and it was clearly out of place. Alcohol noticeable at 15% abv. 80

2007 vintage

Drank 4th of July with friends. Everyone loved this one! Very bold for a Syrah. Over the top.

2009 vintage

Not much on the nose. Mainly some light barnyard and dark cherry. Later a little licorice and cedar. Big wine - high chewy tannins, full body, high (15%) alcohol, medium+ acidity. Medium finish. The alcohol stands out. Not much different on day 2 or 3. It's a decent wine, but nothing special.

2007 vintage

Time treated this syrah well. It was much more open than the last time with rich, plush fruit. The tannins are still a bit grainy but keep it from being flabby. Dark fruits but tempered by a note of burnt cranberry on the finish. Tea notes, bitter sweet chocolate and some cedar.

2007 vintage

after 7 years, inky black except at the very edges, highly oaked and showing just the barest hints of back fruit behind its mocha and sweet vanilla components. a monster at 15%. cant really understand this

2007 vintage

Nice. Balanced; not particularly interesting. A flat on the nose and palate.

2009 vintage

Opened with fresh dark fruit complemented by some savory and wood notes. After being out awhile, pumped and put away; next night oddly it seemed to close down some. Maybe needs a long decant after the strong first impression?

2009 vintage

Deep purple with a garnet rim. Nose of leather, smoked meat, licorice, and vanilla. Ripe palate of blackberry, pepper, hoisin, licorice, and a little toasty oak. Excellent length. A bit savory. Pleasant acidity. Sweet tannins. This is drinking pretty well but has the structure to age gracefully for several years.

2009 vintage

P&P at a BYO restaurant on Day 1. A bit harsh... tight and a bit tart...Began to appreciate other's comments... but allowed to sit at room temp in bottle overnight, keep cool during the day, and again at room temp overnight... then decanted and enjoyed early the 3rd day. A new wine! Dark purple, soft body. Nose of plum, sour cherry and a bit of earth. Purple fruit on the attack, mid palate features spice and white pepper. Not much …

2007 vintage

Ok. Slow to open.

2007 vintage

Drank over two days. Very dark with nice body. Never opened up and remained tight, steely and flinty. The finish was hard edged with notes of earth and black olives. Just not a pleasure to drink.

2007 vintage

This was a nice full syrah that was a bit disappointing to me. We drank this with a 2007 TE syrah that was better all the way around. This had nice fruit and was balanced but that was about it.

2007 vintage

excellent big wine

2005 vintage

Oak. Blackberry and raspberry. Spice. Rich, smooth, finish. Must remember to buy more of this.

2009 vintage

100% Syrah from Hyde Vineyards. 19 months in 30% new and 70% two year old French oak. Dark purple color. Black fruit aromatics. Tastes of blackcherry, spice, barbequed meats, and violets. Full bodied. Chewy tannins. Rich powerful finish.

2009 vintage

White pepper nose. Bold and spicy. but a touch unbalanced. Tasted at Insignia Day 2012

2009 vintage

I found this bottle hiding in the back of my cellar and was concerned that it had spoiled. After an hour in the decanter, that was not the case...This wine is still holding well. It had a huge nose with its dark ruby red color and full body. It was well balanced with delicous flavors of blackberry, strawberry, plum, cassis and spice. Excellent!

2000 vintage

Big berry. Inky. Deep garnet.

2005 vintage

Needed decanting and air time to blossom. Dark color and dark fruit. Well balanced.

2007 vintage

jammy and meaty smoky nose. tall tannins. needs more time. plan to lay these down for a while maybe 5+ yrs.

2009 vintage

Ripe, dark fruit with spice and smoke notes, medium finish, well balanced, and drinking well now.

2007 vintage

Home, just ordinary

2005 vintage

Drank with Tisa and Gunther over spring break. Very Nice! Good color and full body. Nice fruit flavors and soft. This wine could have aged another year or so with out a problem. Very enjoyable!

2005 vintage

This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Ken Johnson. Opaque black/purple robe with purple rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of blackberries, boysenberries, white pepper and lavender. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity and massive, slightly dry tannins. The flavors and viscosity flirt with the "pancake-syrup" moniker but don't quite go over the edge. Long, somewhat astringent finish. This wine needs time. It has the structure to age …

2007 vintage

rush of juicy black fruits to compliment the inky purple color. to the eye, reminds me of a malbec with the pink rim. on the palate the nose is complimented by dark chocolate and toffee notes, which balance out the juicy fruit in the wine. really well done, with restrained oak. went very well with pink peppercorn infused dark chocolate

2007 vintage

Great nose but needs a lot of decanting at the moment. Wasn't bowled over once it opened up though.

2007 vintage

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Joseph Phelps, Syrah, Napa Valley

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