This wine is unabashedly juicy and toasty, with soft tannin and mouth-filling fruit. Baking spices, blackberry pie... Yep, it's all there.
Prime drinking: now through 2022.
Food pairing: Seared meats and rich pasta dishes.
Winemaking
Grapes were picked in the darkness of the early morning hours, and immediately subjected to rigorous hand sorting and refinement process. The whole berries were gently delivered to tank. Cold soaks lasted five to seven days, and fermentations were managed via a combination of delestage and pumpovers. Extended maceration ranging from three to four weeks fine-tuned our tannin profiles, allowing us to perfect mouth feel and wine complexity. The wine was aged 30 months in 100% French oak, 25% of which was new.
Analysis
Appellation: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
Varietals: 100% Syrah
Aging: 30 Months in 100% French Oak, 25% New
pH: 3.73 | TA: 6.4 g/L
Alcohol: 14.5%
94 Points
Rich and generous, with a deep purple hue. Aromas of crushed violets, ripe berries, blueberry pop-tarts, black currant, licorice, chocolate-coated espresso beans, allspice, and cedar box. Full-bodied with a plush, velvety texture.
Drinking Fantastic!
Wonderful texture, and supple mouthfeel. Offering aromas of dark cherry, spice, and tobacco. A full mid palate with flavors of black cherry, blueberry-pomegranate and cherry cola, embellished with toasty oak.
94 Points
Deep garnet-purple in color, with notes of crushed blueberries, ripe, fresh blackberries and warm cassis plus hints of bay leaves, bark and lavender. The medium-bodied palate is chock full of crunchy black fruits, framed by ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness.
94 Points
Aromas of sliced apple, white peach, notes of freshly baked bread with tones of lemon zest. Sleek and rich, features concentrated McIntosh apple, pear, and honeydew melon flavors, with a creamy nuance. Light buttery notes fill the lusciously spiced finish.
93 Points
Rich dark black fruits, blueberries, blackberry bon bons, cassis, fragrant violets, tobacco leaf, and baking spices. Long, plush tannins alongside its dense fruit character. The palate delivers baked berry crisp, black and red fruits, toasted walnuts, brioche and cedar on the finish.
90 Points
Polished with a very modern feel - think rich, concentrated, intense, deep and very long, with tons of sexy black fruit, and just the right touch of French oak. This stuff ROCKS for the price!
Lip Smacking Delicious!
Refreshing flavors of watermelon, cranberry, orange rind, fresh spring flowers and a whiff of strawberry leap from the glass... Dry, aromatic, and has a nice roundness and texture. Simply easy drinking, mouth-watering stuff that you know and love.
91 Points
Deep garnet-purple color with enticing and fragrant with notes of blackberry pie, Bourbon soaked maraschino cherries, Madagascar vanilla bean, mission figs, graphite, candied walnut, and cedar. Its palate provides big, round chewy tannins, stewed black plums, brambly black fruit, toasted nuts, char, and a touch of dark roast coffee.
93 Points
Aromas of fresh peach, Asian pear, citrus, and honeycomb to delight your senses. The flavors are just as complex with delightful, with hints of Madagascar vanilla, followed by fresh lemon, green apple, wildflower honey, stone fruit, and a touch of lavender. The rich, dense texture is balanced by its juicy acidity, leading to great minerality and a long, satisfying finish.
94 Points
Showcases skill, balance and depth, offering juicy black cherry, strawberry and cola with savory notes of black tea, nutmeg and earth on its soft and refined palate. Drinking exceptionally well now with a fresh complex bouquet that draws you right into the glass that leads into a long satisfying finish.
Golden straw colored in the glass, wonderfully rich, it's loaded with roasted apple and stone fruit flavors wrapped in caramel, clove, nutmeg, and generous oak followed by a long and fresh lemon oil finish. Full bodied, utterly luscious and satisfies the palate completely.
Ripe, roasted apple, pear, pineapple and accented by caramel, clove and vanilla enter onto the nose and palate of this voluptuous wine, which is generous in oak and fruit. Pear, apple and citrus flavors combine around high-toned, floral aspects. A thread of honeysuckle adds aromatic intrigue that persists through the lengthy finish of creaminess as it goes.
90 Points
Rich and full-bodied Zinfandel graced with elegant structure and richly nuanced flavors of blackberry, cherries, plum and ripe fig. A subtle waft of roasted coffee beans and lightly toasted almonds with soft raspberries in a luxuriously long and persistent finish.
Tropical, rich, with tons of layering and depth... aromas of key lime, papaya, gala apple, cherry blossom and lemon. Flavors of melon, lime, orange, sweet lemon, Asian pear.
93 Points
Deep red hue and hints of violet teasing the senses with seductive aromas of dark fruits, wild berries, cocoa, baking spices, leather, and cigar box. Filled with saturated flavors of ripe blackberry, blueberry, cassis, cherry cola, ripe plum, fresh sage, licorice, clove, and roasted black walnut.
93 Points
Cherry and black raspberry and chaparral on the nose. Currant, blackberry, mulberry and white pepper offer a savory finish that contrasts the hints of vanilla. Medium body. Racy, fine finish.
94 Points
Blueberry, currant and sweet spice on the nose, clean and focused with silky layers of lush red fruit, surrounding a center core of damp earth and graphite. Subtle notes of sandalwood, and tobacco. Medium-bodied, polished and creamy with firm yet well-rounded tannins.
90 Points
Earthy notes of coffee bean, plum, and black pepper. Flavors of juicy black currant and black cherry explode on the palate. An uplifting freshness is carried through the mid-palate with complex and dense tannins.
