Hamel Family Wines Syrah Russian River Valley

Unfortunately this cool climate Syrah is over the hill.

Clear, deep, purple Nose clean, medium intensity, oak, cedar closet, Palate dry, medium acidity, medium- tannin, medium body, fruit and spice Blackberry and black currant White pepper Medium finish with pepper dominating Good wine overall, probably good to drink now.

This wine was not my cup of tea. Overoaked, poorly integrated, harsh flavors, and lacking fruit. It was a mess. I can see why it was $8 at Grocery Outlet. Pass on this one...

This was wierd. Started off as quite uncharacteristic for a Shiraz, with no hint of pepper, medium-bodied with fine tannins, but somewhat restrained in terms of fruit and a clipped finish. An hour later however, an overpowering note emerged, and all three of us agreed that it was that of marijuana, both on the nose and on the palette. It will be interesting to see if this was a flaw. Hopefully my other bottle will give a different result.