Had this to accompany some very nice grass fed rib-eyes, sweet potato/onion cakes and cauliflower. As usually happens at our house, we do not have a clue what we are going to drink until dinner is minutes away from being served. We probably have a rose open while cooking and as we get busy putting dinner together, a wine to pair with the meal becomes second thought. Many times it ends up being the rose we have open, but I had steak = red wine in my brain so off I go into the cellar with my clue bag mostly empty. Domestic syrahs are right inside the door and again, being in a rush I grabbed the 2010 Halcón Alturas.
This wine is nearly black and smells of purple fruit, rocks and meat on a smoky grill. On the palate there’s more of that dark fruit with intense minerality. I’ve heard the term “liquid stones” thrown around usually with something like Chablis. This wine is all about “liquid stones”. It finishes with more of the same framed with adequate acidity and smooth tannins. It is still very young and likely has a long life ahead.
The one facet of this wine that really intrigues me is its full body and concentration while remaining so light on its feet. It is big, but never remotely approaches cloying or thick. “Iron fist in a velvet glove” fits here. Can you tell I really liked this? Anyway, it accompanied the steak perfectly and I wish I bought more than the few that I did. If you have this in your possession and haven’t opened one yet you are missing out on one fabulous bottle of wine.
I’ll add to the party. And, after reading David’s note, I can see the minerality he sights. For me, I called it zesty and I could be swayed to change my reference! Terrific wine. Would have been cool to put this alongside the 2010 Copain Halcon for kicks but I was drinking solo the past couple days so not this time.
2010 Halcon Vineyards Syrah Alturas- USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands (7/4/2014)
Boy, this is a zinger of a wine. A collision of acidity and earthy black/red fruit that together expresses a zesty side of syrah. It’s got that loamy, mulchy type of finish with a bucket of black raspberry fruit that is tart, along with some savory aspects that shade it all, I suspect from whole cluster? This took a long while to open up, as I started the bottle y/day and finished about 1/2, then retasting today with a clear difference that was added by the slow ox exposure it’s seen under the open cork. This is a terrific wine, zesty yet not without fruit and pretty squarely in a lower alc camp, with a bright expression. Given the acidity and persistent fruit here, this oughta age well and as this was my only bottle, I won’t be able to report back. I’d suggest a drink window of say now (with air) through 2020. Was a gift from Andrew C–thanks man!
I thought you’d enjoy it, and I’ve got several more, so I’ll hook you up (got several 09’s too). I’ve found the Alturas to be a bit leaner and more acidic than the Copain versions, which for me is a good thing.
At $20 for a case purchase, this is one of the great wine values, period. If anyone in OC wants to pool resources to make a case, let’s get it together…
I don’t have space for a case purchase of anything at this point, but a couple of years ago it was an easy choice.
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