TN: Babcock Syrah BlackLabel '97...(short/boring)

WINE TALK
1

Larry brought this mystery wine last night:

  1. Babcock Syrah BlackLabelCuvee SBVlly (13.6%) Lompoc 1997: Dark color w/ no bricking; very strong toasty/Fr.oak very strong blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/ripe/bit licorice some complex nose; lightly tart very strong blackberry/boysenberry/ripe Syrah/licorice/bit pungent strong toasty/smokey/Fr.oak complex flavor w/ light bit chewey tannins; very long/lingering strong blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/ripe/bit licorice/pungent strong toasty/Fr.oak complex finish w/ light firm tannins; no signs of going over the hall and can probably go another 4-6 yrs.

A wee BloodyPulpit:

  1. Don’t ever recall a SBCnty wine being labeled as SBVlly.
    This wine was a good trip down memory lane. BrianBabcock took over winemaking in his family’s operation in 1982. Because he did several winemaker dinner dinners at SF’s e.k.mas restaurant, I became a big fan of his wines. But, along the way, he sorta dropped off my radar. His original goal was to make great dry GWT/Riesling there in the SantaRitaHills (before it was an AVA). They were, though not Alsatian, actually pretty good wines. Alas, sometimes the reality of the marketplace intrudes on your dreams, and he abandoned this dream because they were such a tough sell.
    Tom
2

Wow, I used to buy quite a bit of Babcock when I first started in wine. I’d NEVER have thought to let one sit long enough to age like this! I’m amazed it showed this well - what a fun surprise

3

Thanks for the note. I’ve got a lot of respect for Babcock and liked many if the wines. Still have a few in the cellar that I wondered if should be consumed soon but no where near as old as this. Seems I shouldn’t be concerned which is kind of what I thought.

4

Brian always loved syrah - and still does. He makes a ‘white syrah’ that he calls ‘identity crisis’ - or at least he used to - and his black label stuff and then his ‘terroir club’ stuff were pretty good indeed. No surprise that these have lasted the test of time IMHO

Cheers

5

Brian,

As usual - there are no great wines, just great bottles. I might break into one sooner rather than later just to be sure . . .

Cheers.