Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2007 Syrah Kick Ranch Vineyard exhibits an opaque purple color as well as lots of peppery meat juices intermixed with creme de cassis and blackberries. It is a dense, full-bodied Syrah with a voluminous mouthfeel, powerful fruit flavors, and sweet tannins. A great Syrah, it should drink nicely for a decade or more.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Deep, impressively extracted aromas of black fruits, dark spices, smoky bacon and roasted vanilla beans extend the richness envelope, and, as usual, Hobbs finds a way to blend intensity with a degree of polish and to preserve and present the wine's varietal side in the bargain. Made in a plush, full-bodied style and best mated with savory meats like lamb stews or Boeuf En Daube, this wine is layered with youthful tannins that should allow it to age for many years yet.
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.”
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.