It is unfortunate that the prices of the wines are as high as they are and there may be some extra costs involved that pushed the prices up since grapes are sourced in other states and/or from top vineyards. So far, every Lillian and Antica Terra wine I have tried has been worth every penny I paid. As a wine retailer, I understand the wines are not for casual shoppers. They are made and priced for aficionados who appreciate the final product and their value. The top two Syrahs in my home cellar are Lillian and Keever, (Celia Welch) but unfortunately, Keever no longer makes Syrah.
Now I like big Pinots, (Syrah like), but Maggie makes some Oregon Pinots that aren’t fruit bombs. They showcase the fruit flavors and terroir of the specific vineyards in a way that Pinot people like me can appreciate the wine as much as people who prefer a Burgundian style of wine.
I got on the list with the '06 Lillian and '07 Antica Terra. Bought a bottle of her '11 Coriolis PN which should be ready to open. I’ve moved past full bodied Syrah but have opened and shared an '06 and '07, no longer my style, but enjoyed by others. The '07 Antica Terra is right up my ally and I should have bought more and dropped the Lillian earlier. $75 and up now above my price range, says a guy who just made the Cayuse list. I justify that buy buying and enjoying $20 OR PN from the usual suspects around these parts.
Not wines I buy but explored them. It has been years now but IIRC they were not totally my style and the pricing was out of reach for me. But well made wines.
Antica Terra led to my favorite blind tasting/Dan Posner moment. The 2006 Antica Terra was different than the 2007 and 2008 in its profile. It was HUGE. I was having a conversation with Dan about it and I said that at a blind tasting, people might mistake it for a syrah (the genetic similarity between pinot noir and syrah has always been fascinating to me, btw). Dan told me there was no way that was true.
Mike Pobega’s SLONYC 3 afforded a not-to-miss opportunity. Blind tasting of syrahs and Dan would be there, so I brought a ringer - the 2006 Antica Terra. Guess which wine won WOTF? Yep. When it came time to reveal the wine that won the flight by a 9-2 margin, I told Dan “you are not going to like this at all”.
I’ve been buying the Lillian syrahs since they were first offered and they are terrific wines that need a couple of years of ageing after they are released.
Maggie is terrific gal trained by one of the best Manfred Krankl
2008 Lillian Winery Syrah- USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (5/22/2017)
Inky dark purple, rich blackberry nose with some roast beef notes. Dry with some heat on the tongue. Bold black fruit and body, blackberries and Bing cherries, roast beef. Did not show well on night one, but is starting develop some balance on night two, but still needs a bit of time for my tastes. Could go well with a grilled steak, but not solo. The bitter is morphing into an interesting herbal leather, forest note of balsam and pine in the glass. Big complex wine. Sitting on the counter for a couple more days. The nose wafts up out of the glass, soft red fruits. Lightly tart red/blue berries, full body and fruit with a silky mouth feel, well integrated tannins balance out the acid with a hint of bitter that fades quickly, giving way to a long smooth finish. A couple more years in the cellar will pay off nicely. A full week later, turning savory with earth and leather, the heat has moderated and acid is adding some balance to the fruit. It’s starting to sip like a berry brandy. (93 pts.)
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