2005 Bionic Frog Syrah
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Tasting notes
(14.2% alcohol; picked on September 22): Full medium red. High-toned scents of licorice, olive tapenade, balsamic vinegar, flint, mocha, cinnamon, truffle and beef jus ; like the 2006, this is beyond the primary fruit stage. There's a note of black raspberry on the palate that's complemented by balsamic and truffley nuances (Baron notes that the wine's original plum element has turned to fig after ten years in the bottle). This wonderfully fine-grained, pliant wine retains more energy than the 2006 and its sweetness is nicely buffered by its firm tannic spine and finishing notes of spices, pepper, porcini and woodsmoke. The tannins are dusty and even.
Critic scores
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Another blockbuster vintage, the 2005 Syrah Bionic Frog is one of the more masculine and structured in the lineup. Chocolate, crushed rocks, wood smoke, iodine and spiced meats all give way to a full-bodied, deeply concentrated, rich and structured Syrah that needs another 2-3 years to fully flesh out. While its masculine, meaty character dominated at first, it showed more and more layers with time in the glass. It should be at its best from 2017-2030.
Bright, full ruby-red. Fascinating nose offers black raspberry, crystallized cassis, mocha, gunflint and black pepper. Wonderfully sweet yet firm-edged and gripping in the mouth, with outstanding intensity to the dark berry, pepper and gunflint flavors. This extract-rich wine really explodes on the back half, finishing with outstanding lift and length.