Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This vintage of Jason Drew’s syrah from the windswept Valenti Ranch is awesome in its raw intensity—as if you can feel the berries growing thick skins, buffering themselves against the wind. That intensity comes across as vibrant flavor more than tannic grip: scents of pink peppercorn, green olive, resinous juniper berry, the tough fruitiness of black currant. It’s attention-grabbing coastal juice, refreshing and powerful. It should age well, but it’s hard to resist it now, especially served cool next to a platter of grilled lamb and grilled vegetables.
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.”
Essentially a northern extension of the Sonoma Coast AVA but part of Mendocino County, Mendocino Ridge is one of the rare appellations defined by elevation only. The Mendocino Ridge AVA is reserved only for vineyards at or above 1,200 feet between the Anderson Valley and Pacific Ocean.