Apsara Cellars Release and TN's '12 Syrah '13 Cab/Syrah

WINE TALK
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The Apsara Spring Release opened today. Just so happened I was at Envy today so Robin pulled me some samples of the Syrahs in this release and some '13s (Syrahs and Cabs) still in barrel. The '12s are supposed to go into bottle next month. Robins Las Madres Syrahs combine both Esther and Hulda blocks and their respective clones.

2012 Apsara Syrah Las Madres - 60 cases - This one saw 30% new oak. Drank out of a beaker so it was hard to coax the nose out of it. In the mouth it was plush meaty blue and black fruit, med+ bodied great freshness and balance with soft embracing tannins.

2012 Apsara Syrah Las Madres Whole Cluster - 50 cases - Grabbed a wine glass for the rest of the tasting. 100% neutral oak. The nose here shows bacon, blueberry, blood and the signature black olive of Las Madres. The mouth was rich blueberry and blackberry with grippy but not enamel stripping tannins. Real nice rendition of the vineyard.

2013 Apsara Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus Vyd Blossom Creek (Calistoga) - Amoenus is used by Maybach and Turnbull among others. Black Mountain hillside vineyard just up hwy 128 from Tubbs Lane. Robin is going for pure power here and hit the mark nicely. Nose of balck currant, cedar, thyme and graphite. Black currant and blackberry palate, great structure, powerful big tannins. I think he’s pretty happy with this one [wink.gif]

2013 Apsara Kennefick Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon - Rounder with redder fruit profile when compared to the Amoenus. Red and balck currant, spicy star anise, mouth stripping tannic structure. Very Spring Mountainish tannins.

2013 Apsara Las Madres Syrah - This was really young and the nose is a touch reduced. Typical brash Las Madres fruit profile. Needs time to develop though.

Thanks to Robin for taking time out of his day to deal with me. Great guy, very humble. Nice value here with prices under $40 for the Syrah, not sure where the Cabs will release at. Really surprised he does not sell out faster than he does. [welldone.gif]

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I enjoyed last years offering. I bit on the Whole Cluster. Nice people.

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I bit on all three of the new release offerings.

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Brian,

Thanks for the notes. I went in for a few of the sauv blanc / semillion. Looking forward to see what Robin does with Kenefick and Amoenus.

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In for the regular Syrah. Robin’s notes on the “olive” profile of the two syrahs are below:

“Las Madres is one of those vineyards that can give lots of savory olive flavors in the cooler years, the flavor profile in a vintage like 2012 however leans more towards the blueberry with underlying olive. In this vintage our Whole Cluster seems to display more of that black olive/brine notes compared to the regular Syrah which gives a more dark fruit profile.”