91 POINTS - Daniel Rogov
Sometimes our formula at WineHeist is pretty simple: take a great winery, a great vintage, and a great discount, and the result is a winner. Long-time WineHeist customers know that we are huge fans of Napa Valley’s Hagafen Estate, and since they’ve been doing it since 1979, long-time Napa enthusiasts have probably been fans of Hagafen even longer. And if we mention the excellence of the 2007 vintage in California one more time, people might go crazy, so let’s just leave that alone. Suffice to say the 2007 Hagafen Syrah lives up to the standard of both the vintage and the producer, resulting in a stylish, balanced wine perfect for the last of the cold weather, or the first of the spring thaw. And did we mention that a little known fact is that all of their wines also happen to be Kosher.
The just-released 2007 Hagafen Syrah is estate grown and bottled from the Weir Family Vineyard III (the Weirs have owned and done the winemaking for Hagafen from the beginning in 1979). Dark garnet in color, with an exotic nose of coffee, mint, chocolate and spring flowers. The palate shows classic Syrah flavors of smoked meat, pepper, and dark chocolate. Medium bodied and with good acidity, this is definitely a “French” style Syrah, where fruit is not the driving force behind the wine, a welcome change of pace from high-octane, syrupy Syrah that can be incredibly fatiguing. Balance and elegance are the word of the day for this one, meaning that it will pair wonderfully with a variety of dishes. A perfect wine for any dinner party with multiple courses or hard to pair side dishes!
Vintage: 2007
Varietal: Syrah
Appellation: Napa Valley
Sugar: 24.5 Brix at harvest
Acid: 5.6 g/L
pH: 3.84
Alcohol %: 13.8
Inky, plush, and cellar-worthy
The nose is an aromatic riot—a decadent mashup of blackberry, black cherry, and plum swirled with whimsical notes of red licorice, vanilla, and cocoa. A savory dust of spice, cedar, and a gentle kiss of oak adds a sophisticated edge to this fruit-forward powerhouse.
