Winemaker Notes
This is a deep, intensely colored wine with aromas of concentrated blackberries. It is still quite youthful and fruit-forward, but lands on the palate as a soft, juicy wine that’s round and plush. Flavors of fresh blackberries and black currants weave throughout. The wine has fine tannin and a medium weight despite the concentrated texture of the wine. This youthful wine promises to open up generously with time, perhaps even a decade of cellaring.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Obsidian Ridge also did a good job with their Syrah. This is a smaller cuvée of only 250 cases, but the 2014 Syrah has an inky, bluish/purple color, a big, sweet kiss of pepper, lavender, white flowers, blackberry and cassis fruit. The tannins were sweet, the wine full-bodied and lush. I don’t understand why Syrahs such as this aren’t selling briskly, but they certainly merit it. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.
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.”
Located within the greater Clear Lake appellation, the Red Hills AVA is perhaps the hottest spot right now in Lake County for new Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. Recognizing the potential of its volcanic and obsidian heavy soils, many respected growers are flocking to the area. Andy Beckstoffer, a leader in escalating the quality and recognition of Napa Valley, has already invested heavily in the area.