Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The majority of the grapes for this lithe, elegant wine come from the Zio Tony Vineyard, with the remainder from Red Car Estate. Cool-climate in its high-toned acidity and delicate features of rose and lavender, it's smooth, soft and vibrantly shaken with white pepper, a classic call-out to the Northern Rhone.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
On the global stage, Syrah stands as one of the wine world's most treasured grape varieties. Yet many consumers and wine professionals alike have given a thumbs down to Syrah. As one of the original Rhône Rangers, Red Car has invested serious time and effort in keeping Syrah front of mind, and the results have begun to show. The 2011 Red Car Syrah offers elegant characteristics reminiscent of the famous Northern Rhône region. It shows dark fruits and white pepper in its nose and palate. There is plenty of strength in the wine's flavors, yet excellent acidity and balance keep it fresh and lively. (Tasted: May 16, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
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.”
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.