Winemaker Notes
Very dark magenta ruby. A heavenly nose of all kinds of yummy goodness – licorice allsorts, violet pastilles,a bit of olive tapenade, smoked game. This is classic Syrah! The party continues on the palate with black raspberry, savoryherbs, and a touch of mocha and black pepper. Fabulous texture (a reoccurring theme amongst these 2018s) in this refined,mid-weight Syrah. Age-worthy but enjoyable now, the bottle opened for this tasting note disappeared embarrassinglyquickly. Drink 2022 through 2032.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Syrah Radiant Ridge Vineyard is the first iteration of 100% Syrah from this site; usually, it is co-fermented with Mourvèdre, but this vintage the ripening curves of the two grapes were too different, so they were picked and fermented separately. It's a powerful but classy expression made using 20% whole cluster and aged in 20% new French oak. It has an opaque ruby-purple color. On the nose, there are explosive green olive, peppercorn, prosciutto, bitter chocolate and cassis aromas. The palate is full, ripe and juicy, with unabashedly savory character and full fruit balanced by great lift on the long finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
From the cooler Bennett Valley in Sonoma, the 2018 Syrah Radiant Ridge Vineyard is all Syrah and has a cool-climate, complex, almost Cornas-like vibe that I certainly love. Black and blue fruits, olives, bacon fat, and ground pepper all dominate the bouquet, and this beauty hits the palate with loads of Syrah meatiness, medium to full body, ripe, polished (yet present) tannins, and a great finish. It's beautifully done and is undeniably California Syrah yet seems to have one foot in the Northern Rhône.
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.”
With boundaries overlapping the Sonoma Coast AVA and Sonoma Mountain AVA, Bennett Valley benefits from the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific Ocean just like its neighbors. Top grapes planted include Barbera, Pinot noir and Chardonnay, as well as Bordeaux and Rhone varieties.