Beckmen Purisima Mountain Clone #1 Syrah 2008
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 Syrah Clone #1, from the Purisma Mountain Vineyards, here more chocolate, creme de cassis, cocoa, smoke, and graphite make an appearance in this full-bodied, dense, rich, yet beautifully pure and multi-layered wine. The tannins are sweet and well-integrated, and the finish is long. It should drink well for up to a decade or more.
Two of the finest bargains year in and year out from California’s Central Coast are Beckman’s red Cuvee Le Bec and their more recent white, Le Bec Blanc. Both can probably be found for under $18 at discounters. I tasted four Syrahs from Beckman Vineyards, all of them meriting an outstanding score. This corroborates past performances over the last decade that Beckman is one of the best producers from Santa Ynez.
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Wine Spectator
Firm, with a tight, complex mix of mineral, dried berry, wild berry and black and red licorice flavors, with notes of sage and dusty, loamy earth, that are slow to unfold, but build as they do. This compact wine needs time. Best from 2012 through 2020. 400 cases made.
In 1996 Beckmen Estate Vineyards purchased Purisima Mountain Vineyard a 365-acre Estate overlooking the Santa Ynez Valley, where there are ideal soils and climate for Rhone varieties. They began planting in 1997 and have completed a total of 130 acres at this time. The high density plantings are designed to optimize different hillside exposures and elevations.
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.”
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.