OK. First, this was served to me totally blind. Second, read this review with a grain of salt as I am the winemaker/co-proprietor of the winery. Purple in color. The nose has nice black raspberry fruit and a bit of coffee. On the palate, black raspberry fruit with medium to firm tannins. Some oak showing itself as coffee and spice. Slightly sweet but it might just be ripe fruit. Nice finish. Blind, it seemed like it saw sunshine but I didn't pick California. I thought perhaps a Portugese wine. I liked it and scored it 92 points. Once its identify was revealed, it (of course) made sense. This wine saw 1/3 new oak and is a blend of 2/3 White Hawk Syran (warmer climate) and 1/3 Alder Springs Syrah (cooler climate) with a tiny bit of co-fermented Viognier. It was our first vintage. Drinking well now, but no hurry. I was pleased that among the crowd of about 10, it got 4 first place votes (though not mine).
