Wine & Spirits - February 2013 - (Page 50)

YEAR’S BEST US SYRAH our blind panels tasted 196 new-release syrahs from the US over the past 12 months. our critics rated 35 as exceptional (90+) and 12 as Best Buys. Joshua Greene reviews northern California wines; Luke Sykora reviews Central Coast California wines; Patrick J. Comiskey reviews oregon and Washington wines. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. Ca li fo rn i a 417496 2009 Santa Barbara County Syrah (Best Buy) ^ This smells great: a bright and sunny mix of fennel, lavender and meat coming off the grill. Grown at the Firestone family’s Curtis Estate in Santa Ynez, this contains a portion of syrah noir from the neighboring Crossroads Vineyard, which contributes to the textural gentleness of the wine, a taut and muscular structure relaxing into pillowy tannins. It has the beauty of a wine grown in the right place, vibrant and delicious. (817 cases; W&S, 8/12) § Curtis Winery, Los Olivos, CA 418514 93 | Curtis $25 lamb. (113 cases) § Laetitia Vineyard & Winery, Arroyo Grande, CA 416960 2009 Sonoma Coast Les Titans Syrah ^ Eau de Peay: These guys could trademark the scent of this wine. The syrah that grows on this far-coastal ridge in Annapolis consistently carries that scent, a combination of cracked black peppercorn, strawberry, choke cherry and woodland underbrush. For now, this ’09 is still a bit chunky with tannin, and the aroma doesn’t carry through to the end, but it may grow more graceful with cellar time. And I would buy it for the vibrancy of the color and the scent alone. (250 cases; W&S, 6/12) § Peay Vineyards, Annapolis, CA 420136 2010 Sierra Foothills Ascent Syrah ^ This syrah’s Foothills tannins buzz in the mouth, fresh, bright and intriguing in their goldflecked minerality. There’s enough air within the structure to keep it sleek rather than weighty—a red-fruited mountain wine that feels potent and grand. Bill Easton blends Ascent to make the most complex wine from his vines, half of it from sites rising to 3,200 feet elevation, half of it coming from lower vineyards, at around 1,400 feet. (200 cases) § Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Plymouth, CA 417558 2009 Sierra Foothills Ascent Syrah ^ A classic warm-climate syrah, this has heft to its mineral-inflected tannins and vibrant, strawberry-scented fruit. It’s sleek and bright, with acidity that seems to hold some gold country glitter in its zesty orange peel accents. Bill Easton selects Ascent from his most ageworthy lots of syrah in the Terre Rouge cellar, grown at a range of sites in the foothills’ granite and volcanic soils. (400 cases; W&S, 8/12) § Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Plymouth, CA 417625 2009 Paso Robles Terra Bella Vineyard Syrah ^ From a limestone-inflected hillside in western Paso, this is lithe and intriguing, a syrah with ripe fruit that holds to a tight focus. The finish is mouthwatering, the liquid state of the wine disappearing into a range of 93 | Peay $47 impressions that call to mind deep red roses, red peppercorns and anise-flecked salumi. The tannins are persistent without adding excess weight. For a charcuterie plate. (240 cases; W&S, 8/12) § Andrew Murray Vineyards, Los Olivos, CA 420405 92 | Donelan $45 93 | Drew $38 2010 Mendocino Ridge Perli Vineyard Syrah ^ Driven by syrah’s cracked black peppercorn scent, this wine’s fragrance carries right though the delicacy of its sweet cherry fruit. Dark tannins give all that plush fruit structure, opening from charcoal blackness to add to the wine’s complexity. The Perli Vineyard is 12 miles inland from the Pacific, on an east-facing ridgetop at 2,200 feet. (97 cases; W&S, 10/12) § Drew Family Cellars, Elk, CA 93 | Terre rouge $85 2010 Russian River Valley Walker Vine Hill Syrah ^ The Donelan team gave up half the crop at this vineyard following August heat spikes, but their selection for the final wine is remarkably balanced and refined. A significant portion of whole clusters in the fermentation lends a firm structure to the wine, its tannins providing a mineral fragrance that’s breathable in the finish. The color is a deep, rich garnet, the fruit equally deep red, with highlights of strawberries and jasmine. A compelling syrah with cool, peppery tension. (350 cases) § Donelan Family Wines, Santa Rosa, CA 419698 2010 Santa Ynez Valley Williamson-Doré Vineyard Syrah ^ For all its size and polish, this syrah (co-fermented with a small amount of interplanted roussanne) delivers astonishing freshness and complexity, its dark purple fruit giving off classic varietal scents of peppercorn and fir needles. It grows on a rocky clay bench at the warmer eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley where that temperate microclimate, and particularly a heat wave late in the cool 2010 season, helped the vineyard ripen fully, giving a wine with a textural generosity that’s silky rather than heavy. It would sync perfectly with long-braised lamb shoulder. (390 cases; W&S, 12/12) § Foxen, Santa Maria, CA 418950 92 | foxen $46 93 | Terre rouge $85 93 | laetitia 420117 $25 2010 Arroyo Grande Valley Syrah (Best Buy) ^ Laetitia’s syrah grows at the highest elevation on their estate, a rocky volcanic uplift where rhyolite breaks through the marine sediment. With the Pacific less than four miles away, it’s an edgy site for syrah. It was especially cool in 2010, and winemaker Eric Hickey harvested the fruit for this wine in mid-November. The result’s a vividly coastal expression, shot through with cool-climate scents of peppercorn and conifer. The fruit is bright and tight, as tangy as a salted plum, loaded with energy. It would glow with cumin 50 WINE & SPIRITS FEBRUARY 2013 92 | Martin ranch $35 92 | andrew Murray Vyds. $36 2009 Santa Cruz Mountains Therese Vyds. Lester Family Vineyards Syrah ^ Black pepper and wood smoke add to this syrah’s intriguing herbal flavors. It smells great and it tastes dark and savory, a blend of bay and anise and something more sanguine. Though the tannins are dense, the spiciness of the wine keeps it focused. For braised venison. (220 cases; W&S, 10/12) § Martin Ranch Winery, Gilroy, CA 416714 http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://www.laetitiawine.com/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - February 2013

Wine & Spirits - February 2013
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered
Austral Spirits
Petite Conversion
Sydney’s Sommelier Hangouts
Pinot Noir at the 46th Parallel
Extreme Patagonia
W&S Centerfold – Kimchi & Red Wine
Extreme Values
Introduction
Rhône Valley Reds & Whites
US Syrah
US Zinfandel
Catalan Wines
Chilean Cabernet & Carmenère
Argentine Malbec & Blends
American New Releases
Imported New Releases
New Books

Wine & Spirits - February 2013