Rudius, Spirit Rock Alder Springs Syrah, Mendocino County

Wasn’t expecting much, but wow, this was great. Lots of fruit surrounded by typical savory syrah notes. Nothing flashy, just a really good wine.

2006 vintage

Dark red center with blood red rim. Dark cherry initially with a floral nose of violets and lavender. Dark cherry, plum, and lavender with woody notes as well as pepper late on the palate. Solid acidity in this medium-bodied wine with a touch of aggressive tannin and pepper on the finish. Overall, this is a very enjoyable syrah with great fruit and lovely floral undertones as well as a touch of spice.

2006 vintage

15.7% alcohol. Inky, black color with a violet rim. Explosive nose of plums, violets, peach, pepper, and soy. The palate is equally expressive with waves of plums, peach skin, minerals, molasses, lavender, and pepper. There is a solid midpalate in this medium-bodied wine and lively acidity to buttress the ripe fruit. The finish is long and stacked with great fruit mixed with minerals. Overall, Jeff Ames did a terrific job with this wine because it blends huge fruit with complexity …

2006 vintage

Wine, Browns and my 55th Birthday (My Home) : Purple in color. A nose of black raspberries with black pepper. Plenty of fruit on the nose. The palate is a bit leaner but still good fruit. Boysenberries with some pepper. Mature and in a good place it would seem. Very nice wine.

2006 vintage

Really liked this. Big dark fruit with plenty of acidity and spice. Didn't get the the alcohol that others mention, but I kept it fairly cool.

2006 vintage

Meat and pepper on the nose along with candied licorice and cherry. Palate has a nice citrus edge with plenty of acidity and energy. Loads of baking spices and cherry liquor on the palate. Finishes with a touch of bitterness and residual "sweetness" but redeems it's self with a long finish with touch of espresso mixed with currants. I've always found the sweet fruit a little off putting here and after 3yrs, it really bothered me this time. Good complexity,with …

2006 vintage

Huge from the open even with a n hour decant. Distinct dark fruit with spice and slight licorice on the finish. Big and lush and very similar to some of the Pax wines from same area

2006 vintage

This is a big wine with good fruit depth, but also earthy and meaty. As much as there is on the front end, the finish is surprisingly lacking and short. The alcohol is definately noticable as well.

2006 vintage

Decanted 1 hour, rebottled and consumed over 2 evenings. Nice nose of black fruit, smoked meat and mushroom. Medium to full bodied on the palate with a lush mouthfeel and lots of black fruit with notes of game and just a hint of pepper and spice. Medium length finish with smooth tannins. Drank equally well on day 2. This is fruit driven without too many secondary characteristics at this point giving the impression it will improve over the next few …

2006 vintage

Outstanding syrah. Rich and full bodied but smooth and drinking extremely well right now with well integrated tannins and a long balanced finish. Wish I had more!

2006 vintage

Incredibly well made wine! On pop and pour, nose and palate are LOADED. Yes, there is some heat, but that amount of fruit and darkness is quite amazing. It is a VERY big wine. Aussie like tendencies, but such great depth and layers. Big may be an understatement. Really gets going after 1 hour. Liked this wine a lot

2006 vintage

Open 2 days now so plenty of air on this wine to offer some comment now. Texture here is pretty plush, pillowy on the palate. Some heat here on the nose (listed alcohol 15.7% FWIW). Blackberry, some black cherry but lacking the backbone to justify more aging time in my opinion. The finish shows some menthol, some maple flavor, char and a bit of acidity in the finish. Overall, this is fine but doesn't wow me.

2006 vintage

Very rich syrah... lots going on and agree with previous TN's. For me it started out OK, but after many many hours of air the fruit came out and ended up being really nice. A bit different than the flavor profile overall that I typically enjoy, but a very well made wine that will last for many years.

2006 vintage

Decanted for about 45 minutes before having with beef stew. Aroma has leather. Taste has some tobacco and leather, but not a lot of fruit taste - prehaps some sour cherry. Just seems too thin / watered down to me.

2006 vintage

Crimson red color--this has lost some of its purple brilliance. Nose was rather shy at first, but really opened up with air giving a delicate sweet fruit element and mocha, and toast. Lush explosive palate with concentrated slightly sweet/liquor-like red fruits--cassis, lavender, currants. Finishes with a lengthy fruit filled finish adding a creamy stony note. No hint of heaviness or heat on the palate. A very nice fruit driven syrah--not too much pepper, meat, or spice that I really look …

2006 vintage

I really enjoyed the wine this time around. The only downside (and a couple of points) for me was the forefront of the oak here. If you can get past that its a very nice wine, medium bodied with lots of red fruit. Good structure, acidity and some tannin (with the oak) tell me I should have let this one sit a bit, although it is certainly enjoyable now for those not oak averse.

2006 vintage

A very rich and over the top Syrah. Essence of Tawny Port, Cinnamon and roasted meat. Very rich and expansive on the palate. Almost too rich. Slight notes of oak and the continuing presence of roasted meat. The winemaker suggested you could not over decant this wine and I believe him. It was much more accessible and a bit tamer on day two.

2006 vintage

Smorgasbord of Wines With Focus on 2006 (Our House (2033 Brandywine)) : Very good Syrah. Caramel, darker fruit and stewed tomato and fruit on nose. Woody char. Nice acidity on palate with candied fruit and wood. Nip of heat develops on mid-palate. Shorter finish.

2006 vintage

Mix of Wines -- 2006 and others (Roberts House) : Caramel, raspberry, black cherry. Green strawberry. A little heat is evident on the medium length finish.

2006 vintage

new world syrah tasting (Dino, Washington DC) : Olive, pepper and tart cherry on the nose. Super tannic at this point...i think this wine will benefit from 3-5 years of slumbering. More than any other wine, the mouthfeel was amazingly smooth....and elegant. Great wine.

2006 vintage

Nose of blackberries, olive, cucumber. Palate of mixed raspberries, little funk, minerality, tannin. This had really nice balance, above average finish. From a blind syrah tasting.

2006 vintage

Nose: Blueberries, Black Berry, slight meatiness, Oak is quite prominent. Attack: Full of dark friuts, some chocolate, espresso, star anise and a bit of Black Cherry. Midpalate: Loaded with fruit, but oak really shows here. Finish: Finally see some of the minerality and terroir that this vineyard offers. Lengthy Iron, Berry and mineral tones that really stick to the palate and dark fruit that carries a while. Excellent flavors, but variataly barely distinguishable as Syrah until the finish comes around. …

2006 vintage

Outstanding. No detailed notes taken, popped and poured, lots of sweet fruit with no heat. A lot of components, fairly complex, young but not shut down at all. Very tasty.

2006 vintage

The moment you pop the cork, the nose on this wine just explodes out of the gate. Pop and Pour. The nose is so intense and sweet. I haven't had a syrah like this where the nose is so rich, dense, clean and full of sweet ripe red fruit. I know it's wrong to compare Syrah to Cab.. but it reminded me of the nose of the 07 Maybach. There is a little bit of iron on the backend of …

2006 vintage

short note, my apologies, this was extremely tannic when compared to the EP. I would hold off another year or enjoy on day two.

2006 vintage

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Rudius, Spirit Rock Alder Springs Syrah, Mendocino County

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