My 2012 Novy syrahs arrived this past week, so while not quite the Mike Pobega approach, I did wait only a week to try one. Given my strong feelings about the 2008 which are noted above, below you will find some perspective on the 2012. Adam doesn’t get enough credit for his syrahs, and for a guy who has been making them since 1999, that tenure and tenacity is worth a lot in my book, which is another reason I continue to buy his syrahs year after year.
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2012 Novy Family Wines Syrah Susan’s Hill Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (11/19/2014)
This just arrived last week, so pretty fresh off the truck. Decided to twist the top off one of these and see what we have. Opened last night, writing the note with the added 24 hours of slow ox air. The wine last night was cloaked with a decent volume of fresh oak, a vanilla bean aroma, with lots of fruit, texture and color–classic Susan’s but very primary. So, a day later, what’s here? The vanilla/oak aromatic has faded off pretty well, leaving lots of fruit, a big wollop of it in the aromatic. Interesting expression of Susan’s this time, as I have the 2008 in mind, what I think is still the best syrahs Adam has ever made, and one of the finest syrahs I have had from CA in my drinking experiences. Whereas that wine is helped along by what I believe is a good dose of stem inclusion, this one seems less styled with stems, their presence mostly absent so I wonder if this was just a winemaking difference this vintage, or the wine simply gobbled them up. As for this 2012, using that wine as a comparator, this vintage of Susan’s is juicy, flamboyant, a bit pillowy, with some of the Susan’s tar and some licorice, as well as the stone fruit pit. Finishes with some tar and leather, and just a bit of the SLH citrus. It’s a more gregarious, open textured and approachable version of Susan’s. I find the acidity a bit low, which is where it differs from the lovely aspect in the 2008. Yet, where the 2012 succeeds is in sexyness, flash, depth and immediate approachability. Where this wine goes, I am not sure, although I’d see this as a near-term drinker. Always a favorite of mine.
Posted from CellarTracker
Over dinner, I finished a good size glass of this wine and I missed the mark on the acidity. There is indeed some here, which did come forward as the air worked its magic. When I post notes, I want to be honest and provide an accurate read. Thus, here is my amended note, which I also fixed in CT.
This just arrived last week, so pretty fresh off the truck. Decided to twist the top off one of these and see what we have. Opened last night, writing the note with the added 24 hours of slow ox air. The wine last night was cloaked with a decent volume of fresh oak, a vanilla bean aroma, with lost of fruit, texture and color–classic Susan’s but very primary. So, a day later, what’s here? The vanilla/oak aromatic has faded off pretty well, leaving lots of fruit, a big wollop of it in the aromatic. Interesting expression of Susan’s this time, as I have the 2008 in mind, what I think is still the best syrahs Adam has ever made, and one of the finest syrahs I have had from CA in my drinking experiences. Whereas that wine is helped along by what I believe is a good dose of stem inclusion, this one seems less styled with stems, their presence mostly absent so I wonder if this was just a winemaking difference this vintage, or the wine simply gobbled them up. As for this 2012, using that wine as a comparator, this vintage of Susan’s is juicy, flamboyant, with some of the Susan’s tar and some licorice, as well as the stone fruit pit. Finishes with some tar and leather, and a moderate brushing of the SLH citrus. It’s a more gregarious, open textured and approachable version of Susan’s. Where this wine goes, I am not sure, although I’d see this as a near-term drinker. Always a favorite of mine.
Here is a revisit of a CA syrah that I have a great fondness. This has been open 3 days and it’s just humming right along. I will admit, this is a bigger boned syrah and this would be a contrast of style against say the Wind Gap Majik or Copain Baker Ranch, yet I do keep buying and dabbling with the fruit of Susan’s Hill I (with the recent 2013 Lucia version, made by Jeff Pisoni, really leaving me with a giant smile and a hit to my credit card a day later!).
Anyway, kudos to Adam Lee and his work with this vintage and this wine. It’s comforting, dark, plush and really a great drink again.
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2008 Novy Family Wines Syrah Susan’s Hill Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (1/18/2016)
This bottle surprised me, as it’s been a long standing favorite of mine without a doubt. When it was served to me, it came across ripe and big fruited in the aromatic. It was also quite cold too. When I then tasted it, I made the comment that the palate was better than the aromatic, finding lots of dark berry, iron and a bit of a roasted fruit flavor. As it warmed up, something good happened to it, as the whole cluster and aromatics that are indicative of the 2008 started to come out–the dried purple flower and rosemary. Then some olive in the wine, garrigue. Seeing it transform, I took home the last glass, which I will have tonight and close out this note…retasting before dinner, fresh palate. Really dark colored, which I missed last night in my note. I do get the ripeness tonight, call it flamboyance. A generous, dark berried swath of fruit that hits the palate, yet it still continues to exhibit structure, some finishing tannin. And, I continue to enjoy the savory, herbal elements of this, the garrigue and meaty quality. I do think this wine has a couple years left in its grasp to keep going, with the apex of fruit and residual structure crossing at the perfect place, call it late 2017. It’s then that I will drink my last one.
Posted from CellarTracker
I’m a stickler for being honest and straight when it comes to this stuff so in finishing the last glass, this wine really softened as it got to room temp. The structure pretty much disappeared and the wine was left with the plush core, dark fruit and soft edges. I amended my note over on CT and would simply close here by saying the wine showed me tonight that it’s time to enjoy what is there, the fruit, the dark color and plush tones.
What? Better than Novy Rosella’s? Say it ain’t so.