Winemaker Notes
Black Fig, olive tapenade and tarry purple fruit frame a stony mineral profile. Sweet black fruit leads into sweet red berries and crazy aromas of purple flowers and plums. Picks up weight with air… this one is just going to keep getting better with time.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2021 Syrah North Coast is a joyous wine. Intensely aromatic and effusive, the 2021 offers tons of charm to match its exuberant personality. Red/purplish berry fruit, lavender, rose petal, mint and dried herbs are all amplified. The purity of the flavors is just remarkable. It's a terrific introduction to the vintage.
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.”
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.