Winemaker Notes
The 2005 Syrah is a very deep, dark, saturated purple with lovely, highly perfumed aromas of rich, ripe black fruits - black berries, black cherries with notes of spice and earthiness. Expansive and multi-layered, elements of licorice and white pepper heighten its overall sense of richness. Lush, full-bodied and opulent on the palate, the wine displays sweet tannins, notes of crème de cassis, a creamy texture, along with appealing bacon fat notes. The wine has a long, lingering finish and has outstanding aging potential.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2005 Syrah (still not in bottle, surprisingly) continues to boast notes of licorice, pepper, spice, and black fruit character. I definitely prefer the Cabernet Sauvignons to this varietal, at least as it is made by Kamen, but this wine certainly has outstanding potential and remains me of a high-class Crozes-Hermitage from France.
Rating: (89-91)
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.”
Covering the western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains, facing the city of Sonoma, Moon Mountain District is one of Sonoma’s newest sub-appellations. Here the well-drained, red volcanic and ash soils produce hauntingly intense red wines, mainly from Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties.