A WHOLE LOTTA SYRAHS (AND MORE) AT THE GIRL AND THE FIG - The Girl and the Fig (3/4/2014-3/6/2014)
This past Tuesday I was out in Sonoma to bottle our 2012 wines. I put out the word, and we were able to get 11 people to have a very nice dinner. It was a great chance to meet some young winemakers in Sonoma who are really doing some cool things, and to see some old friends as well. Thanks to the restaurant, they put up with our geekiness, got us all more than a few stems, and the food was great. After some initial confusion, we sorted the wines into flights, got the food rolling out, and we were gold. Sometimes its a shame that with this many wines, none of them get the time and attention they deserve. At the same time, this was a great chance to try a lot of wines that I had never heard of, and now, I can go buy some. Moreover, it was a blast.
A couple of Whites:
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2012 Wayfarer Chardonnay Wayfarer - USA, California, Sonoma County, Fort Ross - Seaview (3/6/2014)
A new wine for me, this is apparently a project of Jason Pahlmeyer to be released in the Fall. From a spot near the Sonoma Coast. This has a nice nose of limes with some lemon curd. A nice tart acidity especially on the attack. Its a crisp styled Chardonnay. Strong lemon on the finish. Quite young still or course, with a bit of air, it started to really open up and show some depth. I don’t know how this is treated but no obvious oak other than perhaps a rounder texture. OTOH, it certainly had plenty of fruit and is not only “mineral driven”. I liked this one but probably didn’t give it the time it deserved# #b##91 pts###/b#
#*#2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru (3/6/2014)
What a pretty wine. Open and smoking from the get-go. The nose is, in fact, smoky. Also, with green apples. Not as taught as I was expecting, this has a nice slightly creamy texture with crisp green apples. It has a tight layered complexity going on. Seems to be in pretty good shape. With a bit of air, a slight chalk note, which I like, emerges on the finish. (93 pts.)
An unscheduled Pinot stop
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2012 Wayfarer Pinot Noir Wayfarer - USA, California, Sonoma County, Fort Ross - Seaview (3/6/2014)
Another new wine for me from this vineyard. It certainly stood out as it was the only Pinot on the table. This certainly seemed feminine and cool climate. Light ruby in color. The nose has cherries, slight rhubarb and a touch of sour cherries on the nose. Very soft and smooth. Medium bodied. Lots of sour cherries on the palate, which I like. Very primary. A slight char on the finish is the only real sign of what I assuming is oak. This is a very elegant Pinot, very pretty. (92 pts.)
Los Madres Syrahs including Apsara
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2011 Apsara Cellars Syrah Las Madres Vineyard - USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros (3/6/2014)
Another new wine for me. Robin Akhurst, the owner/winemaker joined us for dinner. Another young passionate and very nice guy. This is purple/ruby in color showing some of the lightness of the vintage in terms of color. The nose is nice with boysenberries, some smoked meat notes and slighter cranberries. Nice texture. On the palate, this is not quite full bodied with good acidity. Boysenberry fruit with some depth to it. Very much a cool climate/vintage Syrah, but showing quite well. Seemed to get better on a quick revisit later in the night. For my tastes, this is a difficult vintage and this was an excellent showing for a NorCal Syrah from 2011. (90 pts.) -
2011 Eric Kent Wine Cellars Syrah Las Madres Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (3/6/2014)
Upfront, this is not my favorite style of Syrah, so take my notes with a grain of salt. Ruby/purple in color. The nose has some spice to it (sandalwood?) and some green characteristics (more herbal than bell pepper) and some raspberry/black raspberry fruit. Medium bodied. I would like to revisit this in five years and see if it has put on any weight. Right now it has nice acidity, tart raspberry fruit and more sinewy in structure than muscle. Certainly a good wine, but I preferred the other Syrah’s on the table. (88 pts.) -
2011 Lois Rae Syrah Las Madres - USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros (3/6/2014)
Sadly corked. NR (flawed) -
2012 Apsara Cellars Syrah 100% Whole Cluster Las Madres - USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros (3/6/2014)
Robin stepped up to add another bottle to the flight. As he described including day-glo green stems as part of the whole cluster experiment, I had my doubts, but this worked. At lease it did in this vintage. I love the 2012’s as a general rule so far and this was no exception. Purple/ruby in color. The nose really jumps from the glass. It has this brightness to it, that is really interesting. Spice, boysenberries, slight blueberries and some charred meat qualities. On the palate, this is young but really accessible. That is a quality I love in the 2012’s so far, but I do think they will age as well. I think this was a tank sample to be bottled on the following am. Its delicious and while cool climate, there is structure and more than enough fruit. (92 pts.)
SonkinCellars Persona
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2009 SonkinCellars Persona - USA, California (3/6/2014)
It was funny, I was in the middle of the table and on my right, they were saying how tight and closed this was and on the left, just the opposite. Perhaps as those on the right got the first pours. This was tighter than a bottle a week ago and does need air or cellaring still. I thought it opened more later on. It has more of a underlying structure than the 10 or 11 IMO which also makes the fruit seemed more balanced but also not as exuberant. I personally love the wine, but that makes sense, as that was the goal.
I was more trying to see the vintage differences in the wine and I think this wine hits more of the highs and lows of the spectrum than 10 or 11, but perhaps not the piercing mid-range of the 10 or accessibility of the 11. -
2010 SonkinCellars Persona - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (3/6/2014)
My favorite of the three on this evening. It still needs some air or time I think, but it is an opulent warm climate Syrah that, for my biased tastes, manages to hold the line on alcohol or fruit bombedness (is that a word?). Still, satisfying to me with a nice streak of acidity that worked with my excellent grilled cheese sandwich. -
2011 SonkinCellars Persona - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (3/6/2014)
This has turned out better than I expected. This is a tough vintage but there is 14% petite sirah from Teldeschi Vyd in it which I think really gives it some structure but especially a lower level on which the rest of the wine can rest. Probably also some ageability although it was the most accessible of the three in the flight. Really nice acidity and black raspberry fruit. A touch of floral on the nose. Food friendly IMO. I would drink these over the next 5 to 7 years.
Kale Cmapesino/Alban
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2006 Alban Vineyards Pandora - USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley (3/6/2014)
A lot of thoughts on this wine at the table. I could see why some love it, for me, it has its flaws. Purple/ruby in color. There seemed to be some VA on the nose. Plenty of kirsch, some black raspberry fruit, some leather and some violets. On the palate, there is a lot of alcohol showing. Chambord, some depth but some heat as well. Seemed a bit disjointed, but as I said, others loved it. Perhaps this was the rarer case of the bigger wine being hurt by being served with more cooler climate wines. Not sure. (89 pts.) -
2011 Campesino Baybos - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (3/6/2014)
It was a pleasure to see Macario again. I really like his wines. A 40/40/20 blend of Syrah/Grenache and Mourvedre. Ruby/purple in color. The nose is very nice with a warm earthiness; raspberries, black raspberries and leather. More boysenberries on the palate with a nice backbone of acidity. Nice juicy texture. worked well with food. (90 pts.) -
2011 Kale Wines Home Run Cuvée Kick Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County (3/6/2014)
It was great to meet Kale Anderson. He works at Pahlmeyer but this is his own home winery. Really a nice showing. The nose has a sea air quality to it, that was enticing. Floral notes and spice but then a fair amount of boysenberries with some moist earthiness and a bit of raspberries. This is mostly Syrah with some Grenache and Viognier as well. Nice texture. This is open and drinking quite well now on pop and pour. Actually one of the riper 2011’s I have tasted, perhaps its the high amount of Grenache (30%?) making it seem so. (91 pts.) -
2010 Kale Wines Syrah Spirit Rock Alder Springs Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (3/6/2014)
I didn’t like this one as much. I know Alder Springs had issues with ripeness on 2010. I hate to say that as I know it is very much an individual taste thing. For me, this had a strong green bean streak thru the nose that I had some trouble dealing with. I thought it better on the palate with more red fruits than purple though. Actually, as I sipped it, I liked it more and more. Another wine that probably merited more attention than I could give it as I wondered what some air time would do for it. (88 pts.)
Sonoma Syrahs
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2007 Thirty-Seven Winery Syrah - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (3/6/2014)
Another new wine for me. Very pretty label. Nice nose of spice, black raspberries, some warm earth. This is a warmer styled wine on the nose which surprised me as I think its labeled Sonoma Coast. A ripe vintage to be sure, but perhaps from a warmer micro-climate? The palate is different though. Lots of red fruit on the palate. More cherries than purple fruit. Not complex but drinking well. Some leathery tannins on the finish. Seems to be at its peak now. (88 pts.) -
2008 Rhys Syrah Horseshoe Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (3/6/2014)
I brought this out with me, so it may have suffered from some travel shock I suppose. That said, it drank quite well, so who knows. Lots of red fruits on the nose. It took some time to open up. Lovely texture some medium tannins. Dark cherries, black raspberries, slight dark chocolate notes. Long, nice finish. Good acidity. Needs air but drinking well. (90 pts.)
Warmer climate Syrahs
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2010 Herman Story Syrah Nuts and Bolts - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (3/6/2014)
I think I liked this more than the group. Perhaps at this point in the evening I needed something to wake my palate up. Purple/ruby in color. The nose shows black raspberry jam, cinnamon, black licorice and in general is a fruit bomb. On the palate, I loved the thick, velvety texture. Some alcohol showing as some heat, but so much going on here. This is one to drink young I think (compare the Alban perhaps). But, I liked it. (91 pts.) -
2007 Piedrasassi Syrah Mr. Smith - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (3/6/2014)
This seemed to be a divisive wine at the table. It was apparently a one off wine. While I liked it, I couldn’t help but compare it to the Saxum JBV of 07 which are amazing. There is also some Hearstone Vineyard in here. The nose is warm with black raspberries, blueberries and floral notes. Very pretty. On the palate, I got a bit of alcohol and heat. Perhaps I just had too much wine at that point. There are some nice black raspberries as well. Its outstanding for sure, but when I nit-pick it lacks that deftness that I love about JBV fruit. (91 pts.)
Two more for the Road
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2007 Favia Syrah Quarzo - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County (3/6/2014)
Apparently Andy E. gave this bottle to Tom F at the winery earlier in the day. Nice. Purple in color. The nose has spice, black raspberries, roasted meats, black pepper and some vanilla. Its a big boy but handles its weight well. Thick, juicy, meaty texture. Easy to gulp. I got no heat from this though and found it nicely balanced. Long finish. Very youthful still. (93 pts.) -
2006 Copain Syrah Brosseau Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Chalone (3/6/2014)
Last bottle of the evening and my palate was shot. I really tried to concentrate here though. Best thing about the wine was a really nice juicy acidity. There was some heat though on the finish. Lots of red and purple fruits. It has a nice layered complexity starting to unwind. Probably getting close to peak. Very food friendly and I really appreciated the acidity at this point. (90 pts.)
Hope to see you all again. Robin, I hope your bottling went ok in the am. I was a bit slowed for a while, but we got ours done!
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