Winemaker Notes
Very dark black-purple. Verging on opaque. Iris, blackberry, charcuterie, and fresh cream spill from the glass. Mouthwatering! On the palate, medium-full bodied with typical Syrah flavors of blackberry, game, white pepper, and violets. Oh so good. Tannins build to a crescendo in the lip-smacking finish. Papa’s is often quite precocious in its youth but this version, perhaps my favorite to date, is definitely built for aging.
Blend: 100% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Pouring a deep purple, the 2021 Syrah Papa's Block is ripe with dark scorched earth, boysenberry marmalade, and forest spices. Full-bodied and generous, with a rounded feel, it offers a good deal of ripe tannins, with cocoa, black plum preserve, and turned soil. Drink this ripe, round, ample red 2025-2040.
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Vinous
The 2021 Syrah Papa's Block is packed with dark fruit, herbs, scorched earth and strong peppery accents. Powerful and muscular in feel, the Papa's Block is also the biggest Syrah in the range. In many ways, it reminds me of the early wines here, wines that prized intensity over finesse. The 2021 saw 30% stem inclusion, a bit higher than the 20% or so that is typical for this bottling.
Barrel Sample: 92-94 -
Wine Spectator
Deeply structured and simmering with intensity, this Syrah unfurls with blackberry and raspberry flavors laced with smoked meat, licorice and Asian five-spice, finishing with broad-shouldered tannins.
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.”
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.