Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
I also loved the 2017 Syrah Eddie's Patch, which has more of a Côte Rôtie vibe in its spring flowers, black raspberries, and dried earth-like aromas and flavors. Coming from pure volcanic soils and brought up 40% new oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, has lots of tannins, terrific fruit, and a seamless texture. It’s certainly impressive today yet will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 10-15 years.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Syrah Eddie's Patch was aged 16 months in 40% new Ermitage and Atelier hogsheads. It's deep ruby-purple colored and scented of coffee bean, lilac, smoked meats, graphite, garrigue and peppery touches on the nose, with impenetrable ripe black cherry and currant fruit at the core plus red berry sparks, soil and fried sage notes. It's full-bodied with gobs of savory-laced, ripe black fruits in the mouth framed by very ripe, pixelated tannins and great freshness, finishing very long and layered.
-
Wine Spectator
Vibrant and deeply structured, with precise blueberry, black olive and licorice flavors that build tension and richness toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2029.
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.