2008 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Cofermented Hudson Vineyard- USA, California, North Coast, Carneros (1/7/2011)
First impression on pop 'n pour…not worth the hype. Comes across very much like 95% of the Syrahs I’ve tasted from Cali. Lots of dark fruit with some oak tones, black olive/rubber, and some pork fat. But then this wine slowly unfolds to reveal terrific balance and a finesse that really separates it from the pack. No heat, great mouthfeel, and a clean finish that leaves you wanting more instead of crushing your palate with gobs of fruit and oak. I wasn’t totally impressed with the Stellwagon Zin, but this? This is serious juice. (93 pts.)
Thanks for the note - sounds like your patience paid off . . .
Couple of quick questions - how long after you popped and poured did it really begin to strut its stuff? Did you keep the same wine in the glass for awhile or pour a new one at that time?
Second, and most importantly, had this been another wine, and one that people had not been so excited about, do you think you would have given the wine ‘the benefit of the doubt’?
Just curious - and not implying you wouldn’t . . . just an interesting observation.
Opened tonight and had the same impressions. Upon open it was tight and had some weird almost smoky rubbery smell. That was gone pretty quickly but still remained tight. Over two hrs the wine got better and better. Loved the complex flavors; really rewarding. Drinking fine if a bit rustic now but I’m happy I have more in the cellar. Great deal.
Larry, it didn’t take that much patience. I poured a pretty big glass from a cellar temp bottle right after popping the cork. My note says “slowly”, but it was towards the end of that first glass (about 45 minutes to an hour in) that I felt the wine had really opened up. It stayed that way through the next two glasses. My wife finished off the remainder of the bottle.
To your other question…I kept asking myself the same thing during the course of the evening. I’ll be totally honest. I didn’t want to like this wine. I admit to buying because of the hype, but the last thing I need is another winery to add to my list. The main reason for my interest in Bedrock is actually their Zinfandel and Heirloom wines. (I love to barbecue.) Unfortunately, I thought the '09 Stellwagon Zin was over-ripe and too flabby. Not liking this wine would mean that I could feel more confident about dismissing them. However, this Syrah has a nice lift and a sense of freshness that I don’t find in a lot of the Syrahs I taste. It was similar to the effect I feel Grenache can have on Syrah. Maybe there’s a restrained use of new oak, or perhaps it’s the 5% Viognier… I have no idea. I just try to call it like I see it. FWIW, I still don’t have a strong opinion on Bedrock one way or the other.
Kimberly and I had one of these with the her folks and we all loved the nose- very complex with some olive brine, and florals from the Vio. The wine sarted out a bit shy but opened and grew in size and volume, but never got too “big”. I love the way viognier lightens and lifted the finish. Morgan did a great job balancing the fruit/oak and allowed the Hudson characters to take the lead. I’m a big fan of this particular vineyard. Well done!