Syrah

This vintage seemed so open at first but eventually got tight.  This took some air/time to open up once the cork was popped.  Purple in color.  The nose is nice with boysenberries, charcoal, black pepper and just a bit of tobacco.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.  Lots of boysenberry fruit but tightly packed.  A nice backbone of acidity.  Good finish.  It is a cooler climate Syrah and Halcon takes a while to mature.  It still needs another three to five years and should be good for a decade or  more after that.  Disclaimer, I was part of the team that made this wine so I may be a li

A blend of 43% Grenache, 29% Mourvedre, 18% Syrah and 10% Counoise.  This wine is still on the young side but is open and with a bit of air, was drinking great.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, slight charred wood, black pepper, roasted herbs and roasted meats.  On the palate, what a wonderful texture.  Almost seamless.  Juicy black raspberry fruit.  Underlying char and roasted meats.  Great energy and balance.  This will continue to mature for the next five to ten years and be good for ten to fifteen after that.  The alcohol is high, but there is hint of it although

This is a great value Rosé from Provence.  It comes in a "flute a corset Provençal" shaped bottle.  This wine is pink/orange in color.  It has a lovely nose of strawberries with some apricots and slight citrus.  On the palate, the strawberries come thru along with a bit of cherries.  This is clean and easy to drink.  very tasty.  It has a nice energy which will fade quickly.  Though this wine may last for a few years, it should be drunk now to best enjoy it.  It will drink well on its own or with lighter fare but will also work with ribs or other grilled foods in a refreshing way.   

A very pretty Rosé from the heart of Provence.  52% Grenache, 23% Syrah, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cinsault, and 3% Rolle.  Salmon pink in color.  The nose is nice with cherries, slight floral and strawberries.  On the palate, this is dry.  Slightly viscous.  Nice strawberry fruit.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This won't drink better than this but should be good for another year.  It goes well with lighter food and salads.  Great value.  

This is one of three wines available in an aluminum bottle.  375ml.  It is also screw capped.  This is a very portable way to carry wine to picnics and other events.  It would be great by the pool or at the beach as well with no worries about broken glass or having an opener.  This is mostly Syrah and Tempranillo from the Edna Valley in California with some Zinfandel.  Salmon pink/orange in color.  The nose has very pretty strawberries.  Clean.  On the palate, the strawberries come thru along with some cherries and a bit of citrus.  There is also a pleasant tea like bitterness.  This is ver

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Syrah, 2% Petit Verdot.  This was a new winery for me.  So many choices which is great!  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, some black cherries, cedar, baking spices and dust.  On the palate, this seems to be drinking well.  Just slight tannins.  Cassis fruit.  Some depth.  Solid finish.  This probably won't get better but should continue to drink well for another five to seven years.  It will go well with grilled burgers or steaks and most medium to heavier foods.  

From Magnum.  This is the home vineyard for Heidi Barrett, former winemaker for Screaming Eagle.  I think sometimes, her wines get short shrift as they are not Screaming Eagle.  At age 15, however, this one was outstanding.  Purple in color.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, black cherries, black pepper, and some roasted meats.  On the palate, this has a wonderful texture.  Energy, it dances across the palate.  Flavors of black raspberries, slight chocolate over gravel and char.  Nice finish.  Tasted again on day 3, it was just as strong (out of magnum).  Nice finish.  This will go

From the producers of Sine Qua Non, this is the 7th edition of this wine.  The label says 15.8% but there is no hint of heat.  This vintage is a blend of 45% Syrah, 29% Grenache, 15% Petite Sirah, 5% Mourvèdre, 4.5% Touriga Nacional and 1.5% Roussanne.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, red licorice, black pepper, baking spices with a bit of leather/earth.  On the palate, this is rich.  Almost seamless.  It took quite a while to really open up suggesting that this wine still needs about five years depending on your tastes.  Delicious with flavors of black raspberries an

Halcon wines are some of the best values in California wine.  They are top quality cooler climate Syrahs being made at lower alcohol levels in a deliberate style.  At the same time, they are not short on fruit or deliciousness.  They really do take some time to develop though and cellaring or air is highly recommended.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has boysenberries, slight black pepper, slight fried bacon, and a bit of charred earth.  On the palate, this has a medium body.  Tightly layered, it unwinds in the glass.  Nice boysenberry fruit with an underlying minerality.  It s

John Alban is one of the pioneers of Rhone varietal wines in California.  His eponymous winery  is still one of the best.  This is a big wine but for those who like this style, it is excellent.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, some black pepper, slight roasted meats and gravelly dirt.  On the palate, the texture is lush and almost seamless.  This is slightly sweet, most likely from ripe fruit.  Black raspberries and some black cherries.  Plenty of depth with a long finish.  A tasty wine for sure.  It drinks great on its own (and was perfect with a nice Cuban cigar).  It wi