2003 Arcadian Syrah Star Lane Vineyard- USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (1/30/2010)
Beautiful nose of sweet cherry, smoked meats, violets, and some anise - a bit atypical nose for Syrah, but truly fantastic, and one wouldn’t guess another varietal. The palate is soft and silky, but not ‘secondary malo’ soft - naturally soft, as if it were aged perhaps a few more years than it was. More sweet red fruits and smoked/cured meats on the palate, with a very nice hint of rocky soil. There is a very nice dustiness to this wine, with very fine unripe tannins. Finish gets slightly bitter, and the fruits get darker - 20 second finish. If the finish was a bit better, this wine would absolutely rock - as it is, it already is fantastic, and if they go on sale again, I will pick up more, without question. (93 pts.)
After another 5 hours open, it still has legs. This wine is not degrading, so I imagine it can go quite a while in the cellar, but my last bottle won’t last very long.
I also found it to be a very good wine with excellent balance and restraint. Definitely had some N. Rhone elements going on with a bit more gaminess, meatiness and balance than most CA syrahs these days. If you haven’t had the 2004 Havens Hudson that K&L carries, that’s another restrained syrah well worth checking out.