2012 SonkinCellars Unmasked, USA, California, Mendocino, Yorkville Highlands, Wine Review

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 little biased.

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Score:

Vintage:

2012

Current Price:

$45.00USD

2014 SonkinCellars Unmasked, USA, California, Mendocino, Yorkville Highlands, Wine Review

Vintage:

2014

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$53.00USD

Disclaimer - biased wine review. This may be the best wine we ever made. It is still young and tight and should improve over the next five to seven years. It is made entirely with Halcon fruit. Inky purple in color. The nose has boysenberries, black pepper, slight baking spices, slight earthiness and roasted herbs. On the palate, I love the texture of this wine. Deep if still tightly layered. The biggest difference between this and other Halcon based wines, is that this is a bit riper. Juicy boysenberry fruit over and bit of char and minerals. Long finish. Good acidity. This sho

2012 SonkinCellars Unmasked, USA, California, Mendocino, Yorkville Highlands, Wine Review

Vintage:

2012

Score:

Grade:

Biased review as this is our own winery. I post this as guidance for anyone thinking of opening a bottle. Purple in color. The nose has boysenberries, grilled meat, black pepper, slight iodine. On the palate, this is still young. It needs air or cellar time. Medium tannins. Juicy boysenberry fruit. An underlying char. Good finish. Very food friendly but works on its own. Still should see some upside.

2013 SonkinCellars Unmasked, USA, California, Mendocino, Wine Review

Vintage:

2013

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$50.00USD

Biased review. This wine is now starting to be approachable. Pop and pour, it is still young but in my biased opinion, showing well. Of course, part of this is because having made the wine, it was made in a style I love. Most of the fruit is from the Halcon Vineyard. This is a cooler climate Syrah. Inky purple in color. The nose has boysenberries, slight bacon fact, leather and roasted meats. A nice of gravel as well. On the palate, I love the texture. Not a monster, but juicy fruit without being over blown. Medium tannins. Great acidity. This will work with roasted dishes, cas

2012 SonkinCellars Unmasked, USA, California, Yorkville Highlands, Wine Review

Vintage:

2012

Score:

Grade:

WARNING-Biased Review. This is tighter than most 2012's but starting to open up a bit. Still, a decant for a couple of hours is not a bad idea. Purple in color with ruby swirls. The nose has boysenberries, black olives, white pepper and charred wood. On the palate, this is lean but puts on weight in the glass. Deep boysenberry fruit with underlying char. Food friendly with heartier and spicy food. Good finish. This is nearing peak but easily has a decade plus to go.

Top 10 California Syrahs - The Wine List - October 2014

Syrah is a grape that most wine merchants will tell you is a difficult sell. It seems it’s always going to be the next big thing, but never is. For consumers, that’s a good thing. A great Syrah usually will cost far less than a comparable quality Cabernet or Pinot Noir. For my money, I tend to buy more Syrah than any other grape. A disclaimer here – I liked it so much, I started to make it. In any event, as the temperatures start to drop, fall is great time for a hearty red with dinner or next to a warming fire. Syrah is a grape that really changes its personality depending on where it is grown. Cooler climate Syrahs can be quite different from warmer climate ones. California has plenty of each. While I love many of the cooler climate Syrahs, most of the ones listed below are warmer climate Syrahs. In my opinion, that is where the very best of Syrahs from California can be found.

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2012 SonkinCellars Unmasked, USA, California, Mendocino, Yorkville Highlands, Wine Review

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Top 10 California Syrahs - The Wine List - October 2014