Local Berserker & friend Loren Sonkin just released his 2013 SonkinCellars Persona & Unmasked syrahs. He said the 2009 Persona (the first SonkinCellars wine) is drinking well now and since I hadn’t had a bottle recently I decided to check in. Indeed it is, and I look forward to opening subsequent vintages soon as a couple years of age certainly has treated this well.
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2009 SonkinCellars Persona - USA, California (10/20/2015)
Lovely, deep aromas of black cherry/red raspberry, grilled meat, flowers and hints of herbs & cedar. The palate is similar with mixed red/black fruit, meat, touches of earth/cocoa/pepper/spice. Compared to the last time I tried it in 2012 any hint of heat is gone and the structural components are there. Integrated medium tannins and medium+ acidity. Drinking very well now, took just a bit of air to open up and should continue to drink well through at least its 10th birthday, as long as there are no cork issues described in other notes. (91 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Syrah is my favorite red grape so it’s fun seeing a fellow Clevelander who also loves it making it from some great California vineyards. I know Loren has offered previous vintages on BerserkerDay but it sounds like he didn’t get as much fruit in 2013; since I haven’t seen any other posts about the release I coped the release email below in case one or both sell out before January.
Dearest friends and supporters: the day has arrived! The 2013 Persona and 2013 Unmasked are now available for purchase. These two wines showcase the great Syrah vineyards of California by blending warm-climate Syrah from the Santa Barbara region with cool-climate Syrah grown on the rocky soils of Mendocino County to the north.
We were blessed in 2013 with an outstanding growing season in both Northern and Southern California, and the proof is in the bottle.
The 2013 Persona, like its predecessors, is a Syrah that is both delicious now and cellar-worthy. It is a robust wine that has wonderful fruit with juicy acidity, and will age gracefully for more than a decade. This Persona is a blend of warm and cool climate grapes: 2/3 from the celebrated warmer-climate White Hawk Vineyard, and 1/6 each from the fabulous Halcon Vineyard and Alder Springs Vineyard. The wine saw 1/3 new oak and 2/3 neutral oak barrel aging. This may be our best Persona yet – and the critics agree. Jeb Dunnuck of the Wine Advocate gives the 2013 Persona 92 points, calling it “impeccably made” with “rock-solid purity of fruit,” with “classic California notes of ripe cassis and sweet black raspberry fruits, crushed violets, spiced meats, vanilla bean and cream to go with a full-bodied, supple, elegant profile on the palate.”
Following on the tremendous success of the last vintage, the 2013 Unmasked is the personification of a balanced Syrah. It has a chiseled Northern Rhone-style presence while remaining true to its California roots. It is an equal blend of two of the best northern California Syrah cool-climate vineyards, Halcon and Alder Springs. The wine saw 1/4 new and 3/4 neutral oak barrel aging. It will benefit from cellaring for a few years and should easily develop for a decade or longer. The 2013 Unmasked garnered 92 points from Antonio Galloni, who calls the wine “beautifully balanced throughout” and “finishes with notable precision and nuance,” and that “plum, sweet red cherry, exotic spices, rose petal and juniper berries abound in a juicy, flamboyant wine loaded with personality.”
Only 250 bottles of Unmasked and 750 bottles of Persona were produced. Costs for the 2013 skyrocketed, requiring us to increase our prices for the first time in our winery’s history. But have no fear – if you buy 6 bottles or more, you will receive a 15% discount, and shipping is included. Just enter the promo code 6Plus when you order. In addition, based on requests from some good friends, we are releasing from our library a few cases of the 2012 Persona and Unmasked at their original purchase price. If you are interested in the 2012s, don’t wait to order, as there is only a paltry amount for sale, and when they’re gone, they’re gone.
Due to the tiny production of these wines, they are available exclusively through our mailing list and through referrals from our customers. If you have friends that you think would enjoy our wine, simply forward this email to them, and we will try to accommodate their orders as well.
Click on this link to order (and don’t forget the promo code): http://sonkincellars.securewinemerchant.com/
Best,
Tom and Kathy Futey
Loren Sonkin and Jane Flaherty
Tom and Jenna Warren