Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Tasting more like a barrel sample than a finished wine, the 2013 Syrah Soberanes Vineyard sports an inky, glass staining purple color to go with decadent plums, black raspberries, liquid flower, olive and background meatiness. Rich, full-bodied, nicely concentrated and textured, with sensational purity and elegance in its tannin structure, it needs 2-3 years of cellaring and will drink well for a decade or more after that.
Rating: 94+ -
Wine Spectator
Lovely aromas of raspberry and floral blueberry pair with smoky pepper details. Offers good weight but remains light-footed, showing complex flavors of crushed rock, dried sage and herbs. The tannins ease in on the finish. Drink now through 2025.
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.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.