Falcone Mia's Vineyard Syrah 2004
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Robert
Parker
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This impressive Syrah possesses terrific texture, medium to full body, loads of opulence, and a bouquet of black currants, licorice, cedar, and earth. Pure fruit, silky tannin, and a plush texture result in a seductive red.
Since their careers started in the seventies and eighties, they have worked throughout some of California’s great winegrowing regions. Over the years their passion for crafting wines inspired us to plant their own small vineyard in Paso Robles and produce their family brand, Falcone Family Vineyards.
The two of us came to the Central Coast from the Napa Valley after successful stints at Atlas Peak Vineyards (where John was winemaker) and Chimney Rock Winery (where Helen worked as assistant winemaker). They find that the pace of life in the Central Coast is well-suited to their lifestyle both as winemakers and as parents.
Their family’s team approach makes their wines truly special. John oversees farming aspects of their estate vineyard and outside vineyard sources while Helen co-produces the wines and markets them. In 1998 they celebrated the arrival of their daughter Mia, the namesake of their family vineyard. Mia assists with punch-downs, yeast cultures and grape sorting when she’s not at Cal Poly studying Wine Business.
They focus on producing high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah for various reasons. Perhaps the most important one is that their estate vineyard is ideal for growing Bordeaux and Rhône varietals. In addition to these primary varietals, they also produce a Chardonnay from Sierra Madre Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.