2017 K Vintners Syrah Milbrandt Vineyard, Washington, Wahluke Slope, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

This is a bigger wine, but for the K Vintners lineup, it seemed less oversized than usual.  That is neither good nor bad, just a frame of reference.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, roasted meats and slight rubber note.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, nice black raspberry fruit with underlying char.  Medium tannins.  Lots of depth.  Delicious.  Nice finish.  This should improve a bit over the next five years and drink well for another seven to ten after that.  Great on its own, this would work well with charcuterie.  

2013 Apsara Cellars Syrah Las Madres Vineyard, USA, California, Carneros, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

This is a lovely cooler climate Syrah made in a more elegant, lower alcohol style.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has boysenberries, white pepper and slight char.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there is nice black raspberry fruit with mild tannins.  Some underlying earthiness and char.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This seemed to be about at peak but shoudl drink well for another five to seven years.  It works better with food.  This will work well with pastrami or other "deli" meats.  

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah T Block Hudson Vineyard, USA, California, Carneros, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

This took a while to come around, but it is finally showing the promise it showed on release.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, a touch of black olives and sandalwood.  Full bodied.  Lovely acidity.  On the palate, great black raspberry fruit with underlying earthiness.  Concentrated fruit that unwinds in the glass.  Nice finish.  This appears to be at or close to prime and should continue to  drink well for 8 to ten more years.  A nice wine on its own and will work well with roasted meats, fowl or veggies.  

2018 Sine Qua Non Syrah Ziehharmonika, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
99
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$235.00USD

 This is a blend of 82% Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre, 6% Grenache, and 5% Petite Sirah.  Like many SQN wines, this weights in at 15.8% abv but there is no hint on the nose or palate.  Delicious wine.  Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, roasted meats and roasted herbs.  Full bodied with a lush but lively texture.  On the palate, this is surprisingly drinkable even at this young age.  Loads of black raspberries with underlying char and black pepper.  Deep.  Long finish.  Drinks great on its own but will work well with grilled, roasted or braised meats

2018 Tablas Creek Le Complice, USA, California, Paso Robles, Adelaida, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

This is a blend of 60% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 15% Terret Noir grapes.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper and roasted herbs.  Full bodied with firm tannins.  On the palate, black raspberries with some char underneath.  Delicious.  Nice acidity.  Long finish.  They Syrah is dominating now but this should gain some complexity with a few more years in bottle.  Drink over the next twelve to fifteen years.  This would work great with Indian or Thai food with a bit of spice.  

2015 Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$95.00USD

Coming around but still young.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, clear and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, roasted meats, black pepper and slight floral notes.  Full bodied.  A nice backbone of acidity.  On the palate, black raspberry fruit with underlying char and pepper.  Clean.  Juicy.  Moderate finish.  This probably will drink better on day 2.  Patience will be rewarded.  Hold off for another few years then drink over the next ten to fifteen.  A nice match with roasted meats or veggies.  

2005 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard, USA, California, Edna Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$120.00USD

This is drinking great and probably at peak.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries with black pepper and some roasted meats and herbs.  Full bodied.  Complex.  Still lots of upfront black raspberry fruit but lots of depth and layering with earthiness, char and black pepper.  Delicious.  Long finish.  This should go another five to ten years but won't get better.  Great on its own, this will work well with roasted meat or veggies.  I last had this in 2009, so it was great to be able to see what happened to all that potential it showed in its youth.  

2005 Lillian Winery Syrah, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$55.00USD

California Syrah bottled in Oregon by Maggie Harrison.  Some of the best Syrah out there.  I last had this about ten years ago.  At age 16, this was at peak and gorgeous.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, slight roasted herbs, and a hint of gamey meat.  Full bodied.  Lots of vibrancy and energy.  Great lush texture.  On the palate, still plenty of fruit, light tannins with depth and complexity.  Black raspberries over pepper and gravel.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own and is perfect with roasted meats, fowl or veggies.  This prob

2016 Mullineux Syrah, South Africa, Swartland, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$37.00USD

I don't drink a lot of wines from South Africa, but that is not for any particular reason.  When I drink ones, such as this, it raises the issue as this is a delightful Syrah that is prices fairly.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with boysenberries, slight mint and roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Nice depth.  Delicious.  On the palate, boysenberries over a char base.  Clean.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own and would be a nice match with Indian cuisine.  Drink over the next 15 years.  

2017 No Girls Double Lucky #8, USA, Washington, Walla Walla, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

This is apparently a new wine from No Girls that was sent free to those members on the Mailing List.  A Zoom tasting was held for people to try it although a friend brought this bottle to a separate event.  Pop and pour.  It is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Tempranillo.  Almost black in color, more ruby towards the rim.  The nose has that burnt rubber smell so prevalent in many Washington Syrahs.  Also, some slight barnyard, black raspberries and black cherries.  Medium bodied if not a bit thinner.  On the palate, this is a nice quaff.  Somewhat one dimensional with nice black cherry fruit

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