I continue to enjoy Jim’s wines. I have walked this property many times, picked fruit off the vineyard and appreciate what it expresses in CA syrah. There is lots of CA syrah out there, with many of us having our favorites, the cuvees we buy year after year. This has become one of mine, I have tried every vintage, including the wines from Shane, and soon to be that of pal Steve Nordhoff who is making his wine from some of these same rows, too. Jim’s made a very nice syrah here, packed with flavor and structure and it will be a gas to watch this age forward. Thanks for reading.
2008 Jemrose Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley- USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley (11/27/2012)
I opened this last night and drank off about a glass and stuck the bottle back with the cork to try tonight. I wanted to allow some aeration to impact the wine so I could enjoy it with dinner again this evening and give it a go with this note. I may have a little residual cellar chill on this but not much, so call it consumed and noted at about 68 degrees, which I’d say is a good temp for CA syrah. Listed alc is 14.2% and I’d say that is pretty close, as there’s nothing fumey on the nose. Some hint of purple flower and a similar note of potpourri/dried flower that I consistently find on Jim’s syrah. The palate here, much like the 2009 I drank last week, is grapey and inky, with a rustic level of tannin and acidity. The fruit shows mostly blue and it’s backed up by a good dose of earthy flavor. Licorice, char, some olive around the edges. It finishes with a terrific push of the same earthy dark fruit, vivid acid that brightens the wine and some tannin. I bet this wine is going to age well, to soften some more and become more finessed, as it for now it remains youthful, expressive and complex. Drink now (with air) or better to let this age into 2014 through 2017.
Whenever I read an FMIII note of praise on a Cali-syrah, I am reminded of Michael Corleone in G.Father III.
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”
Jemrose, huh? They ship to my state?
Credit card is warm in my hand.
Thanks for the notes.
This is really nice syrah. I showed some discipline last night, saving about 3 ozs, enough to splash a good amount into a stem tonight. Lots of life left in this 2008, will be nice and ageworthy.
Frenchie, look forward to having Jim interact with the community and I’ll be in the discussion.
T., that’s a funny retort from you. If it makes you glow even more, I loaded some new Novy syrah into my cellar tonight, along with that little gem, the 2011 Wind Gap SC pinot. CA lives!
Pulled my final bottle of this…wow, this is nice. And for anyone that wants to take a peek at it, there is 3 bottles of it at K & L for $29.99. Almost tempted to reload a few more but I am trying to balance my still wine against Champagne. In any case, props to Shane for doing a nice job with Jim Mack’s fruit.
2008 Shane Syrah Jemrose Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley (4/15/2019)
My final bottle of Shane that I own, have held onto this since 2010. While I didn’t want to say goodbye to this bottle, I wanted syrah last night to go with some matzoh ball stew my wife had made. I have fond memories of this wine, as I met Shane just over a decade ago when he was working for KB and making his own stuff on the side. Still remember tasting his first wines at that time inside of the caves at Deerfield Ranch if I recall correctly. I also am fond of this wine because of the good memories I have of the many times I visited Jim and Gloria Mack, who at the time and up until a few years ago, owned the house and property that was Jemrose/Cardiac Hill. So, with lots of good memories, out with the cork. Opened yesterday, the whole cluster that Shane liberally used in this wine has after a decade done great things to it. It’s got a cool garrique character, along with tar, leather and soy. The fruit is plump, with plum and dark berry, inky, with some espresso and tangy rosemary into the finish. Still some latent structure hanging in, along with some light acidity and my hunch is that this can go another 3-4 years. This reminds me of the best Carlisle that Mike has made, as well as some of the great stuff Adam Lee made as Novy from Rosella’s in the SLH. Just great CA syrah, and a well done to Shane.
Frankie’s note made me reach into the corner of the cellar. Three 2008 Shanes left, but alas no Cardiac Hill. So travel down the Bennett Valley Road to Judge Family.
2008 Shane Judge Family Syrah-this must have been made in A similar style to the Cardiac Hill above. Medium ripe, lots of whole cluster. Quite dark still and it smells like Northern Rhône Syrah. BlackBerry, stems and some foresty goodness. The balance is impeccable. Very nice, can go at least 5 more years.
