Winemaker Notes
What's surprising about this Syrah is how soft it is on the front end. Flavors of blackberry jam, black cherry and vanilla are unveiled as you sip this wine and those notes stay in evidence through a lengthy finish.
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Everything about this medium-full-bodied effort impresses for its balance and energy. Its outgoing aromas are a bright, forward, moderately rich mix of boysenberry and white pepper with hints of stones and minerals. It is supple in its early palatal impressions and firmer with being hard or the least bit abrasive towards the back. Its fruit is mid-sized, on point and continuous, and its finish is clean, long and agreeable. It can benefit from aging but does not need it, and its price is right.
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.”
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.