Winemaker Notes
Lovely intensity and drive to the aromas of wild blackberry and boysenberry alongside floral and dried herb complexity. Notes of lavender and pine needle add intrigue. The palate is immediately fruit-driven—crunchy, layered, and deep with brambly intensity and white pepper lift. The wine expands to a plush, velvety mid-palate with supple texture and gravelly mineral tannins. Rising blue fruits appear toward the finish, which is plush and seamless, gaining in elegance over time. Drink this on the young side to experience the wine’s glorious youthful exuberance.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Thick and tangy, this wine offers great acidity, length and power, with amazing shocks of white and black pepper. Leather, lavender and dark cherry combine in a forceful reckoning of savory and edgy intensity that does justice to the variety and the vintage. Enjoy best from 2030–2035.
Cellar Selection
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.