Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Syrah Haley Rockpile Vineyard is medium to deep garnet-purple in color with compelling scents of violets, wilted roses, kirsch and baking spices over a core of wild blueberries and black cherries with wafts of lavender, garrigue and wild thyme. Full-bodied, opulent and possessing a myriad of floral and spicy sparks in the black-fruited mouth, it has a beautiful plush texture and wonderful freshness, finishing very long.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Syrah Rockpile Vineyard doesn't have the same singular character as the other Syrahs from this site, yet still offers a beautiful, pure, elegant style that's loaded with charm. Black and blue fruits, violets, crushed rocks, and some marine-like salinity all flow to a medium to full-bodied, beautifully pure, elegant Syrah that has present tannin, good acidity, and a great finish. Drink it over the coming decade or more.
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Wine Spectator
Built for the cellar, this red has a taut core of firm tannins bound by sturdy black currant, stony mineral and white pepper flavors. Best from 2020 through 2027.
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.”
High elevation vineyards—800 to 2,100 feet—on well-drained soils of red and brown clay loam, gravel and large rock outcroppings produce low yields of intense, high-quality fruit. Surrounded by Northern Sonoma County and overlapping Dry Creek Valley in its northwest corner, the Rockpile AVA produces some of California most powerful Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon based wines.