Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
92
/100
Reviews
19
professional
Vintages
1
2005
Other
92/100
Syrah
NV
Community Reviews
2525
Reviews
92.4
Avg Score
95
Highest
Taster #2760
· Oct 2, 2023
91/100
dirty red, garnet, in color. bacon, savory, smoked meats, blackpepper, tapenade, currants, balsamic, soy sauce, dried herbs, brett. saturday morning bacon drizzled in maple syrup, spices, green olive, on the finish.
2005 vintage
Taster #0153
· Oct 1, 2022
Wow, after decanting/aerating smoked olive is the dominant flavor. Pouring from bottle is a shock - forgot how heavy these early bottles were. This pairs with red meat off the grill - that lets the wine's elements fall into place - classic rich, ripe oaky syrah.
2005 vintage
Taster #7581
· Nov 7, 2020
88/100
Disappointing!
2005 vintage
Taster #0008
· Nov 2, 2020
92/100
Last bottle in my cellar. Have very much enjoyed revisiting this wine over the years. PnP. Nose of barnyard, soy sauce, dark sweet fruit, reduced balsamic (?). On the palate, sweet red fruit, dried herbs, slight tannin. Short finish of cherry nyquil, bitter dried herbs. One hour in, barnyard is completely gone. Sweet fruit and herbs dominate. Quite good and in a beautiful place
2005 vintage
Taster #0008
· Jul 2, 2020
91/100
One hour decant. Brilliant nose on opening of barnyard, menthol, tobacco, alcohol. On the palate, extracted dark fruit, heat, savory. Short bitter hot finish. Overall a little over the hill but still fantastic.
2005 vintage
Taster #8236
· Mar 19, 2020
93/100
Last bottle from a batch bought at release...at home with chili, needed something to stand up to the spice - interested to see how this one has done. Cork out clean, splash decanted, drank over 2 hours. Deep purple core, thinned and clear at the edges. Nose was showing barnyard/animal at first, blowing off in 15 minutes or so evolving into dark fruits, olives, earth notes and garrigue(?). Palate of dark cherry, blackberry, kirsch, savory notes. Picking up herbs and …
2005 vintage
Taster #4094
· Mar 4, 2019
Double-decanted and took to restaurant. Showed great and had even better freshness than the last bottle I opened. There's excellent savor here and a fine beam of acid and mineral binding it together. The drinking window is on a steady plateau and it will coast to the age of 20 and probably beyond. Very, very good regardless of value which of course is quite high.
2005 vintage
Taster #6488
· Feb 8, 2019
90/100
Drinking well but still has legs. blackberry fruit, black olive, cloves.
2005 vintage
Taster #6211
· Jul 22, 2018
95/100
One hour decant. If you still have this vintage, drink it or save for the right occasion. Bold nose of still fresh dark fruit and black cherry. On the palate, dark fruit, currants, smoked meats and subtle pepper. As was noted,this stands up to any northern Rhône. Soft tannins that slowly melt over an hour or more. This was excellent. Looking forward to the 09 and later vintages.
2005 vintage
Taster #3289
· Apr 30, 2018
93/100
Wow. Decanted for an hour. Black olive, blueberry and blackberry but not heavy or syrupy. Became more complex with earth and tannin after 2 hours. Drink the last by 2022 sounds good.
2005 vintage
Taster #7006
· Jan 20, 2018
Well balanced, expansive black olive on the nose, cool tasting with no ethanol burn. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all 3 bottles of this over the last 2 years. Excellent.
2005 vintage
Taster #5580
· Jan 13, 2017
93/100
2nd bottle in three weeks. Consistent Northern Rhone flair with bacon, smoke amid deep fruit on the nose. Palate harder to define, but I guess I can see how others post a tapenade flavor profile. Certainly more on the finish, but also a better tapenade--none of that cheap chit here. Nowhere near a Saxum in my books, but still an incredible relative QPR.
2005 vintage
Taster #7006
· Jan 2, 2017
I Wall of flavor. Strong aromas of baked gingerbread , soy, olives, mashed herbs and milkweed. steamy and sappy. Nice and cool with blueberry/ blackberry compote. Good cali Syrah.
2005 vintage
Taster #0008
· Dec 26, 2016
93/100
PnP. Very savory throughout. Nose of soy, dark blue fruit, funk, garrigue, menthol. On the palate more of the same with a very long savory finish and mostly integrated tannins. Drinking well but seems like it can still last quite a few years.
2005 vintage
Taster #9241
· Nov 2, 2016
great, olives, smoky - cubs win world series
2005 vintage
Taster #8080
· Jun 19, 2016
92/100
Color: dense and opaque ruby core -> fairly dense ruby/brick rim with tremendous long-legged viscosity. Intense, savoury bouquet right out of the gate: olive tapenade (veering heavily toward the kalamata end of the spectrum -- not my favourite), bacon fat, game meat, tar, leather and smoke. Tart palate showing leather, rosemary and sage, black fruits and minerals. Love the long, long, smooth finish with the tannins pretty much bowing out at this stage. 14.6% etoh not really noticeable (thankfully). On …
2005 vintage
Taster #4094
· Nov 29, 2015
Decanted and drank over 3 hours as it continued to unfurl and gain power. Excellent color and concentration. Dark fruit, pronounced bacon fat savor with pepper, mineral, and floral tones. Good and characterful now, but it has freshness and purity with a beam of acidity to suggest that this is still another 5-10 years from its peak and will perhaps drink much longer than that. Very fine.
2005 vintage
Taster #8236
· Nov 7, 2015
94/100
At home with Valerie/Suzy, paired this with main course, my "famous" brisket and wasabi mashed potatoes. Decanted for an hour, really allowed the wine to shine. Deep and vibrant purple color, slight bricking/signs of aging at 10 years. Expressive nose of dark fruits, savory/bacon fat, olives. Rich and fruit forward palate, tart black and blue fruits, back palate has spices, cloves, orange blossom. Great California version of a Northern Rhone...long and layered finish. Acids and tannins balanced - really in …
2005 vintage
Taster #1912
· Dec 26, 2014
93/100
Features a balance between its initial presentation of dank boysenberry and bacon fat with savory olive and herb on the age-polished finish. Slight bricking. A supple wine with plenty of heft, this could only be Syrah. Showing very well today; with the acids and tannins completely integrated, this might be at its apogee over the next couple of years.
2005 vintage
Taster #0008
· Dec 31, 2013
93/100
I love this wine. Such a unique, exciting expression of syrah. Nose of olives, ripe black fruit and mint. On the palate, very savory and rich. Long finish. Drinking well right now.
2005 vintage
Taster #3127
· Oct 17, 2013
94/100
Stupendous. Full, rich, chocolate, dark fruits and a very long finish.
2005 vintage
Taster #1922
· Apr 7, 2013
94/100
Beautiful syrah, restrained, but with excellent focus and intensity. Really hitting its stride at the moment, but with life ahead.
2005 vintage
Taster #0008
· Jan 27, 2013
93/100
PnP. Savory nose of olives, mint, meat, earth, dark red and blue fruit. On the palate, a really intriguing, funky taste of more olive, mint, meat, spice with a savory, tart, alcoholic finish. A great domestic northern Rhone type syrah.
2005 vintage
Taster #1154
· Jun 4, 2012
90/100
Effusive nose of dark fruit and spice drops into a relatively light entry lacking in depth and thinning in the mid-palate, ending with somewhat tart and high-toned acidity but mild tannins. Finish brings on a bit of orange peel and cloves that's moderate in length.
2005 vintage
Taster #2546
· May 12, 2012
94/100
Visit to Big Basin: Rattlesnake Rock Syrah Vertical (Big Basin Vineyards, Boulder Creek, California) : From magnum - opaque black red violet color; aromatic, tart plum, baked plum, light smoke, roasted black fruit, lifted nose; tasty, poised, complex, tart roasted plum, olive tapenade, light pepper, mineral, smoke meat, green olive palate; ready now; medium-plus finish
2005 vintage