2018 Jaffurs Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Wine Review

Sometimes, one grabs the wrong bottle by accident from the cellar. Such was the fate of this bottle. This really shouldn't have been opened for ten years, but you know what? It was opened and enjoyed even though young. Inky purple in color. The nose is tight but with some air and some swirling it shows black raspberries, roasted meats, black pepper, baking spices and slight floral (violets?) notes. Firm tannins. It is a bit more accessible on the palate. Delicious black raspberry fruit. Somewhat monolithic but seems to be very deep. Juicy and slightly jammy. Long finish. Will it improve? Yes. Did we enjoy it anyway? Absolutely. Hold for another seven to twelve years and drink for ten to fifteen after that.

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2018

Top Ten California Syrahs - 2016

I tend to taste and drink a lot of wine over the course of a year. I am in a few tasting groups, sometimes the wines are consumed at various local wine store tastings and a number drunk with friends and family.

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America’s Best Rhone Style Red Wines: 11th Annual Rhone Rangers Tasting Reviewed

The Rhone Report: About Rhone and Rhone-Style Wines and Winemakers is part of an ongoing series. Last month we discussed the white Rhone style wines offered at the 2008 Rhone Rangers tasting event at Fort Mason in San Francisco on March 18. This month we turn to the reds, of which we tasted 50. Among those we tasted were some old favorites and some wineries or bottlings with which we were not yet familiar. We don’t pretend that we tasted a representative group of wines, because our sample was skewed to wines we have loved in the past and others about which we have heard positive comments.

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2008 Hospice du Rhone Events: Highs & Lows of American Rhone-style Wines Tasted

The Rhone Report: About Rhone and Rhone-Style Wines and Winemakers is part of an ongoing series. The 16th annual Hospice du Rhone events in Paso Robles, California from May 1 to 3, 2008 was an opportunity to consider Rhone-style wines from a fresh perspective. Unlike most tasting opportunities, these events included Rhone-style wines from the Rhone Valley itself (51 wineries), elsewhere in France (4 wineries) as well as from Spain (4 wineries), Australia (17 wineries), South Africa (6 wineries), Chile (2 wineries), Argentina (1 winery) and the United States. The American wines were mostly from California (144 wineries), but a few examples from Arizona (2 wineries) and Washington State (5 wineries) were also included. While this is a California-dominated event, and while many of the Rhone Valley’s best producers aren’t represented, there is still sufficient European and other entries to make for interesting comparisons and contrasts. The events included two general tastings and a series of focused seminars.

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2007 Jaffurs Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara - Wine Reivew

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This was opened as part of #BrownsSuckWinesDont. While watching the Browns move to 1-29 over the last two seasons, I console myself drinking great bottles. This one was no exception. Pop and pour, it took about 30 minutes to get going and kept improving from there. Purple in color. The nose is gorgeous with black raspberries, violets, black pepper, roasted meats and graphite. Deep and complex on the nose. On the palate, this is both contemplativve and delicious. Black raspberries, slight bacon fat, slight black olive, leather, smoke and char. Great lush texture. This is a big wine

2013 Jaffurs Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Wine Review

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2013

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Purple in color. The nose is great with black raspberries, roasted meats, some black pepper and hints of violets. On the palate, this has a great texture. Lush and almost seamless. Black raspberries layered with spice and slight roasted meats. Good balance. Nice finish. This would work great with heartier foods or spicy ones too. Drinking quite well though not yet at peak. It might have some more upside as it continues to develop. A real crowd pleaser but if drinking soon, give it some air. Probably will peak in five years and be good for a decade or more after that.

2018 Jaffurs Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Wine Review

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2007 Jaffurs Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara - Wine Reivew

2013 Jaffurs Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Wine Review