Reviews

Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

Issue May/June 2013

2009 RATTLESNAKE ROCK SYRAH – 93 points
2009 OLD CORRAL SYRAH – 92 points
2009 COASTVIEW VINEYARD SYRAH – 92 points
2009 GRIZZLY GRENACHE/SYRAH – 92 points
2009 ODEON SYRAH/CABERNET – 92 points
2010 HOMESTEAD SYRAH – 90 points
2010 COASTVIEW VINEYARD PINOT NOIR – 93 points
2010 LESTER FAMILY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR – 92 points
2010 ALFARO FAMILY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR – 93 points
2010 WOODRUFF FAMILY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR – 91 points
2011 SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS PINOT NOIR – 90 points

2009 Rattlesnake Rock Syrah: "Inky purple. Complex, perfumed scents of dark fruit liqueur, olive, cola and smoky oak spices. Plush and expansive, offering sweet cherry compote and blueberry flavors complicated by violet pastille and bitter chocolate. Emphatically syrah, finishing with excellent power, sneaky tannins and a late jolt of black pepper. For such a deeply flavored wine, this one boasts surprising vivacity. "

2009 Old Corral Syrah: "Glass-staining ruby. Potent, heady aromas of black and blue fruits, espresso, incense and mocha, with a cracked pepper topnote. Palate-coating blackcurrant and cherry-vanilla flavors are enlivened by juicy acidity, which adds back-end lift. Weighty but surprisingly lively syrah with excellent finishing clarity and spicy persistence. "

2009 Coastview Vineyard Syrah: "Glass-staining purple. Pungent, exotic aromas of black and blue fruits, licorice pastille, violet and vanilla. Plush, palate-staining dark fruit preserve flavors show impressive depth allied with unlikely energy. Finishes sweet and very long, with chewy tannins and a whiplash of dark berries and flowers. This large-scaled wine clocks in at 15.5% alcohol but wears it gracefully."

2009 Grizzly Grenache/Syrah: "Saturated ruby. Cherry-vanilla, dark berries and mocha on the pungent nose and in the mouth. Chewy, appealingly sweet blackberry and cherry flavors are sharpened by juicy acidity, offering a suave blend of richness and energy. Finishes sweet and long, with smooth tannins and a touch of medicinal herbs. This wine is made from fruit grown in Monterey County and Santa Cruz County, in the Coastview and Big Basin vineyards. "

2009 Odeon Syrah/Cabernet: "Glass-staining ruby. Potent, heady aromas of black and blue fruits, espresso, incense and mocha, with a cracked pepper topnote. Palate-coating blackcurrant and cherry-vanilla flavors are enlivened by juicy acidity, which adds back-end lift. Weighty but surprisingly lively syrah with excellent finishing clarity and spicy persistence. "

2010 Homestead Syrah: "Saturated ruby. Cherry-vanilla, dark berries and mocha on the pungent nose and in the mouth. Chewy, appealingly sweet blackberry and cherry flavors are sharpened by juicy acidity, offering a suave blend of richness and energy. Finishes sweet and long, with smooth tannins and a touch of medicinal herbs. This wine is made from fruit grown in Monterey County and Santa Cruz County, in the Coastview and Big Basin vineyards. "

2010 Coastview Pinot Noir: " Bright ruby-red. Complex, strongly scented bouquet evokes candied red and dark berry preserves, cola, incense and smoky Indian spices. Sappy, penetrating and impressively focused, showing good heft to its black raspberry and cherry-cola flavors. Aeration brings up a gentle vanilla nuance that carries through a long smoke- and spice-accented finish. This pinot’s exotic character gives it surprising upfront appeal. "

2010 Lester Pinot Noir: " Bright purple. Pungent, oak-spiced aromas of black raspberry, cherry and sassafras, with a suave floral nuance gaining strength with air. Shows very good depth and energy to its sappy red and dark berry flavors, which pick up smoke and vanilla qualities on the back half. Dusty tannins add shape to the finish, with the dark berry and vanilla notes repeating. "

2010 Alfaro Pinot Noir: "Bright ruby-red. Explosive perfume of red and dark berries, exotic spices and lavender. Silky and sweet, with good focus and energy to its bright raspberry, blackberry and vanilla flavors. Supple, focused and pure on the impressively long, juicy finish. This very sexy pinot drinks well now but also has the balance to age. "

2010 Woodruff Pinot Noir: " Bright violet color. Pungent scents of dark berries, anise, dried rose and succulent herbs. Smoky and gently sweet on the palate, offering pliant cherry and blackberry flavors accented by a touch of mocha. Shows very good power on the finish, which leaves notes of candied licorice and cherry-cola behind. Darker in its flavor profile than its stablemates this vintage; I’d serve this pinot with a strongly flavored piece of braised red meat, or something with mushrooms, even truffle. "

2010 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir: "Vivid ruby. Pungent, smoke-accented aromas of dark berries, cherry pit and black cardamon, lifted by a subtle mineral topnote. Sappy and penetrating in the mouth, showing good depth and energy to the cherry-vanilla and smoky herb flavors. Gains sweetness with air and finishes with an echo of vanilla and soft, well-knit tannins. "