2008 Wind Gap Wines Syrah Sonoma Coast- USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (4/13/2011)
My first dig into my recent '08 purchase. Nice gamey, barnyard nose with blackberry, pepper and spice notes. Tartness takes control of the palate dominated by tart black cherries and blackberries. Finishes off with some white pepper and mouth drying tannins. The tartness hangs on for minutes afterward as does the tannic grip. Needs a few years to really develop and I didn’t have the patience to see how it did with extended air. We polished off the bottle in 1-1/2 hours. This has a nice future to it. Pax is rocking my world. 91+ (91 pts.)
Let me add to Brian’s perspective and toss up my note, having finished this bottle a few nights ago. For those of you searching for something near the other end of the CA syrah spectrum, here is one to try on.
2008 Wind Gap Wines Syrah Sonoma Coast- USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (6/27/2011)
Hot dang, is this a savory and sauvage type wine. Listed alcohol of 12.1%, open since yesterday. Aromatically, brims with brined olive, meat, menthol, white pepper and cool climate notes. Medium dark in color with blueberry and cherry with a tart finish of cooked meat, some hints of mineral. Overall medium bodied, leaner in tone but not short of complexity. By far, the most distinctive red wine I have opened in 2011 and probably not for everyone. However, I dig it and it provides a nice counterpoint for the darker, more fuller bodied syrah I also buy for the cellar.
