Winemaker Notes
Damp earth, crushed cherries, white pepper, spice laden black fruits with a taunt finish of black licorice, tar and pomegranate liqueur. Medium bodied and juicy, this one punches well above its weight class. Nothing less than a classic Syrah, this shows a lovely balance of fruit, spice and earth. Drink now and stash a couple away to be rewarded with more weight and texture.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Syrah North Coast is made from the leftovers from all their vineyards, and this wine takes things to the next level in terms of aging and quality. It has serious game, with notes of fresh lavender, blackberries fresh, and gravelly earth. Medium to full-bodied, it has good length and is showing well, with ripe tannins and a classic note of mouthwatering, mineral tones.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Syrah North Coast was fermented with whole clusters and matured. The nose is bursting with pure scents of blackberry pie, violet, cracked black pepper and loamy earth. The medium-bodied palate features generous, floral fruit structured by clay-textured tannins and mouthwatering acidity.
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.