Winemaker Notes
This wine has savory aromas of white and black pepper, dried meats, and grilled mushroom along with the sweet aromas of blueberry, plum, and huckleberry pie. The palate is rich and dense with firm tannin, bright acidity, and a lasting finish. Like the nose, the flavors here are sweet and savory with blueberry, plum, au jus, white pepper, and grilled meats.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A ripe, sexy Syrah from the Napa Valley, the 2018 Syrah sports a deep, opaque purple color as well as a powerful bouquet of blue fruits, peppery herbs, spring flower, bouquet garni, and a touch of gaminess. Reminding me of a classic Cote Rotie (but on steroids), it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered textured, gorgeous purity of fruit, and a blockbuster of a finish. This singular, straight-up gorgeous Syrah is going to be prime drinking over the coming 8-10 years, although there's no need to delay gratification.
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Wine Spectator
Deeply structured, with a polished exterior that highlights rich black raspberry, smoked meat and cracked pepper flavors that build tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2030.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.