2003 Bionic Frog Syrah
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Tasting notes
(15% alcohol; harvested on September 18 in a superhot year): Good dark red. Distinctly balsamic, rather "southern" nose offers scents of cooked plum, mocha, celery seed and Worcestershire sauce; a bit like a mature Châteauneuf du Pape. Large-scaled, very ripe and sweet but a bit undifferentiated, with a trace of remaining red berry fruit joined by notes of powdered mustard seed, truffle and milk chocolate. This rather warm wine shows some incipient maderization notes but although it appears to be in decline it still shows decent energy in the mouth. Finishes with drying tannins.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
More ripe, voluptuous and decadent, if not with hints of overripeness, the 2003 Syrah Bionic Frog offers tons of plum, licorice, spice-cake and chocolatey notes to go with a rocking, full-bodied, sexy and concentrated feel on the palate. This beast of a wine won’t be for everyone, but it dishes out incredible amounts of pleasure. I like it now, and don’t think it’s going to get any better, but it will easily evolve nicely for another decade.
Full ruby-red. Superripe, highly complex nose offers gingerbread, espresso, saddle leather, mocha, brown spices, pepper and earth. Suave, superconcentrated, broad and thick, but kept firm by rather gripping acidity. This shows a distinctly more primary fruit character than the more forward Cailloux Vineyard bottling, along with varietally typical notes of herbs and black pepper and plenty of spine. A big boy, finishing fat and sweet, with melting tannins. I'd enjoy the Cailloux before attacking the Frog.