2006 Arcadian Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard- USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (7/19/2010)
Oh my word this was a nice surprise. I wasn’t sure how this baby would show and upon first opening the aromatics were firmly closed off. Before I went to take a drink I grabbed the decanter. Then I took a sip and this was voluptuous and tasty. This was perfect for the evening. Bigger and more mouth-coating than you might expect from and Arcadian. This is what I generally want from Santa Ynez. The darker fruits caught my attention first but they did not hide the red berries. I ended up not decanting because the taste was what I wanted this night. We did pour some big glasses and it wasn’t long before the aromatics opened up. No need to hurry on this wine but would be hard to keep my hands off. (93 pts.)
I liked the Stolpman better in '05, but I agree…the '06 Purisima is flat out delicious!
The '06 Sleepy Hollow Syrah is no slouch either…and a terrific QPR.
Hard to go wrong with any Arcadian.
+1 on this being Joe’s best syrah. Love it. I tasted it awhile ago up against a St Joseph of the same vintage and similar price point, and it did more than hold its own. While it certainly is more fruit driven than the St Joseph, it has a great peppery and spice component tha I love.
I think I have a couple myself. The poker event might be a good excuse to check back in on it.
I had the 2005 Hommage a Max at a birthday dinner last week and it is the best of Joe’s Syrah that I’ve tasted thus far (others being the 2003 Westerly and 2005 Sleepy Hollow) but I have an 2006 Purisma, so we’ll see!
The 2006 Purisima is from a warmer year that was a lower acid vintage and will show well earliier. I think the 2005 will be better in the long term but the 06 will be great for the next few years.
NOSE: medium+ expressiveness; cool red fruits and blueberry; savory (a touch stemmy); very floral – patchouli; some oak; clean (not funky); high-toned; smells awesome.
BODY: dark cherry color of medium to medium-deep depth; clear; medium bodied.
TASTE: oaky right at the pop-n-pour; almost no tannin; medium to medium+ acidity; this is an elegant Syrah, with fruit flavors that are not overripe or gloppy; there’s a savory streak to this wine, and it is a touch bitter; the oak starts to draw back approx. one hour after opening; 14.7% alc. is well-hidden; medium to medium-long finish of medium-strong intensity; if somebody gave me this wine blind, I’d honestly be hard-pressed to call Syrah — I’d probably guess Rhone blend, and would surmise a very healthy dollop of Grenache in the cépage; not as good as the ethereal '05 of the same, but this '06 is nothing to sneeze at: I suggest drinking your '06s while the '05s continue to evolve in the cellar; I’ll probably drink my other two bottles over the next five years.
Todd - I have yet to have a wine of Joe’s that didn’t feel like it could easily age longer. The pinots from the early 2000’s still have a lot of life left.
I’ve never had a red that seemed like it was going to decline in the forseeable future. I’ve had a few 12-16 year old whites that seemed like they wouldn’t benefit from further age.
Joe’s wines not only age well and for very long, but they always seem to maintain a certain freshness and lift all along the way. He really seems to have the fountain of wine youth there in his cellar.
2006 Arcadian Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard- USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (7/22/2016)
– decanted for 20 minutes before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind for a couple hours on Day 1; tasted again on Day 4 –
NOSE: ripe; red fruits; oak; tart; slightly smoky; juicy berry aromas. Day 4: fumey from a Pinot glass.
BODY: some medium-fine particulate matter present; violet-garnet color of medium-deep depth with slight bricking throughout; medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: 14.3% alc. is a bit noticeable – prickly; quite acidic (added acid?); underlying leather note emerges when paired with pasta and red meat sauce; Day 4: ripe – muddy purple fruit/soil tones; some oxidation creeping in. Overall, this is nice, but it’s nowhere near the '05 vintage of the same. Drink now and over the next few years.
2006 Arcadian Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard- USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (2/3/2020)
– decanted approx. 30 min. before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over 2 - 3 hours –
NOSE: strawberry jam; high-toned, and a touch funky; olive; green peppercorns; hard salami.
BODY: medium-light to medium bodied; superfine particulate matter present; dark garnet color of medium-deep depth.
TASTE: light, fine French oak note; red-fruited; savory; alc. not noticeable; medium+ acidity; softened & sweetened-up with air over the course of 2 hours — I preferred it with 1 hour of air seems to be in a nice spot right now; Drink Now. gut impression score: 90 – 91 with less air; 89-90 with more air.