2006 Pax Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard- USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (9/26/2009)
Popped and poured, enjoyed over 4 hours. Dark, dark dark fruit. First two hours, extremely primary, all fruit. At the two hour mark, the switch flipped and this became a dead ringer for Northern Rhone. White pepper, road tar, earth, minerality, roasted meat. Absolutely incredible, complex, delicious. This is the first time that I have enjoyed a Pax wine so young, as ordinarily I hold them for at least 5 years from vintage.
2005 Rudius Syrah- USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (9/26/2009)
Popped and poured, enjoyed over two hours. This continues to develop in the bottle and has started to become very special. Well balanced, black fruits, tonight the cracked pepper was very prevalent but offset by the profound taste and smell of osso bucco. Really interesting and complex. Delicious with food. Early in its drinking window, this has the stuff to last another 10 years.
Thanks for the notes. I have had 3 '05 Rudius RRV’s at about three month intervals and agree that it is in a great place right now and getting better each time I try it. I had a sneak preview of the '06 RRV last week (found one at retail while waiting delivery from the winery). I got the roasted meat, black fruit and black licorice that Jeff mentions in his winemaker’s note, but did not get the menthol and pine needle notes that he described. It’s a good wine now, but I think it will be better than the '05 in another year and beyond. I’ve been tremendously impressed with all the Rudius Syrah bottlings I have tried, and look forward to trying the Grenache and Cabernet in the future.
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