Vinous, October 2024

 

October 2024

“What strikes me most about proprietor Bradley Brown is that he’s a no-nonsense kind of person. Direct and uncompromising, his ethos is also unmistakable in the wines. It’s nearly impossible not to be charmed by this vast array of offerings from both estate and non-estate sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Chalone and the Gabilan Mountains. Brown and winemaker Blake Yarger churn out some of the most convincing California Rhône-style wines I’ve ever tasted, and the Pinot Noirs are not far behind. A trip to the Northern Rhône in 2016 recalibrated Brown’s approach, driving him toward using more whole clusters and beginning aging his Syrahs in 300-liter barrels. I tasted a mix of 2021s and 2022s. Consistency and quality across the dizzying… lineup is undeniable. Oak integration across the board is precise and adept, as Brown muses, “I consider oak a flaw.” Many of these wines could easily fool me in a blind tasting, particularly the 2021 Homestead, a doppelgänger for Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Cabernet Sauvignon Odeon Betchart Vineyard is a pleasant surprise for a Rhône-dominated lineup—a gorgeous rendition of the variety that speaks in a different accent than the rest of the wines here. All of the Syrahs punch far above their weight, but when it comes to Big Basin, it’s awfully hard to go wrong. “Santa Cruz Mountains: The Chameleon by Billy Norris

2021 SIXTY-TWO TERRACES SYRAH (Estate) 96 POINTS
2021 ODEON CABERNET SAUVIGNON 95 POINTS
2021 RATTLESNAKE ROCK SYRAH (Estate) 95 POINTS
2022 WIRZ VINEYARD OLD VINE OLD VINE CARIGNAN 94 POINTS
2022 DUNE & MOUNTAIN PINOT NOIR 94 POINTS
2022 LESTER FAMILY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 94 POINTS
2022 RODNICK.FARM PINOT NOIR 94 POINTS
2021 COASTVIEW VINEYARD “TERRACES” SYRAH 94 POINTS
2022 RODNICK.FARM OLD VINE OLD VINE MOURVEDRE 93 POINTS
2022 ALFARO FAMILY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 93 POINTS
2021 SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS SYRAH (Estate) 93 POINTS
2019 GRIZZLY GRENACHE (Estate) 93 POINTS


2021 SIXTY-TWO TERRACES SYRAH (Estate) Not Yet Released
The 2021 Syrah Sixty-Two Terraces is dark and brooding but already beginning to welcome you. What impresses me most here is the immediacy of its deep, black-fruited core. An intoxicating bouquet of green olive, saddle leather and tobacco leaf sneaks up from the glass, giving way to creamy, cocoa-dusted blackberries and pulverized rocks in the mouth. The Syrah tannins are classy and quite respectful here, standing guard but stepping aside to allow you to pass. This is a standout wine in an already excellent range. A long, violet-stained finish saturates the cheeks. This is great today, and it will only get better.

2021 ODEON CABERNET SAUVIGNON
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Odeon Betchart Vineyard is fabulous. It comes from a site that used to be included in Ridge Monte Bello, planted entirely to clone 4 Cabernet. Aged for 20 months in barrel, it’s surprisingly open and approachable today. The Odeon coasts from the glass, suave and sophisticated, with a rush of dark cherry fruit, pine forest, menthol and salty, almost nori-like hints. The palate is sculpted and precise. Ultra-fine tannins, motivating acidity and soft curves melt together in this finessed Cabernet that has room to run. Transparent and long on the finish, this has elegance written all over it.

2021 RATTLESNAKE ROCK SYRAH (Estate) Not Yet Released
The 2021 Syrah Rattlesnake Rock is reserved on the nose at first. Still, a modest amount of swirling more than ameliorates that, coaxing a deluge of sensual, enchanting aroma from the glass. It’s every bit as enticing in the mouth. The first thing that comes to mind is “California Côte-Rotie” because of its very cool-toned, smoked meat accents, hints of black olive and bright, red-fruited acidity. The tannins are ultra-fine and powdery, but the bouquet keeps me returning for more. This is drinkable today, but the structure will harmonize meaningfully with a bit of cellar time. Be patient.

2022 WIRZ VINEYARD OLD VINE OLD VINE CARIGNAN Not Yet Released
The 2022 Carignan Old Vine Wirz Vineyard explodes from the glass with a karate kick of blood orange, grapefruit, black pepper, purple flowers and macerated strawberry. Bright acids keep this so juicy and attractive. The vines here are nearly 100 years old, translating into a wine of complexity and deep saturation of flavors. Aged for 11 months in neutral oak, this is yet another transparent expression of place and variety in the Big Basin portfolio. It’s maybe a bit more muscular than I’d expect for Carignan, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

2022 DUNE & MOUNTAIN PINOT NOIR Not Yet Released
Another stellar Pinot Noir in this range from Big Basin, the 2022 Pinot Noir Dune and Mountain comes from two sites at elevation in the Gabilan Mountains (Coastview and Rodnick.farm). Elegant and floral, its base layer of sweet cherry fruit gives way to spiced orange rind and a kick of saltiness that makes this particularly intriguing on the close. Once again, transparent winemaking here yielded a wine of utter class. The sumptuous, sexy mouthfeel is a thing of beauty. As it happens, if you take two great sites and blend them together, you can make a great wine—what a concept!

2022 LESTER FAMILY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR Not Yet Released
The 2022 Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyard is reserved on the nose, but it’s super-expressive in the mouth. Done with 100% whole clusters, it’s lifted and spicy, announcing its stem inclusion with a lifted tinge of rose-stem-like greenness and cracked black pepper spiciness. Aged for 18 months in barrel, this is a beautifully soft-textured, rounded, almost creamy wine with an intricate, layered mouthfeel. It finishes with the prettiest lingering note of rose petals. The 2022 is, quite simply, a pleasure to drink.

2022 RODNICK.FARM PINOT NOIR Not Yet Released
The 2022 Pinot Noir Rodnick.farm Vineyard comes from an elevated site in the Gabilan Mountains. It sizzles with a perfume-like nose of incense, santal, sandalwood and star anise, all atop a basket of fresh strawberries and raspberries. As enticing as the bouquet is, the beautifully supple mouthfeel really gets things going, gently coating the mouth but building in intensity as it moves toward the finish. Impressive.

2021 COASTVIEW VINEYARD “TERRACES” SYRAH Not Yet Released
Done with 100% whole clusters, the 2021 Syrah Coastview Vineyard Terraces is a structured, chiseled cherry bomb that marries all the savory intensity of the Gabilan Mountains with a beautiful base layer of voluptuous, liqueur-like dark cherry fruit. Exotic spices, lavender and cedar sizzle from the glass, propelled by measured acidity and a tense but forgiving tannin structure. This has all the pieces—just give it a year or two to settle down. Impressive.

2022 RODNICK.FARM OLD VINE OLD VINE MOURVEDRE Not Yet Released
The 2022 Mourvèdre Old Vine Rodnick.farm Vineyard is yet another fantastic wine off this site. It aged for 11 months in neutral oak (550-liter and 300-liter). Bright, fruity and cheerful, it’s also notably measured and reined in with super-fine tannins. Aromas of black cherry, leather, cedar, pipe tobacco and mint bound from the glass, building intricacy with air as the 2022 intoxicates with its heady perfume. The finish is absolutely mouthwatering—my only complaint is the slightest poke of heat right on the close.

<2022 ALFARO FAMILY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR Not Yet Released
Expressive and open, the 2022 Pinot Noir Alfaro Family Vineyard is a beautifully complete wine with an abundance of fruit. On the nose, cinnamon-spiced black raspberry, macerated dark cherry, orange peel and purple flowers simmer. Soft, salty acids help establish freshness, while powdery, super-fine tannins nibble at the tongue. This boasts a textural finesse and harmony that is so appealing.

2021 SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS SYRAH Not Yet Released
The 2021 Syrah Santa Cruz Mountains, the entry-level Syrah in the portfolio, is another testament to the potential of Syrah in coastal California. Vinified with 100% whole clusters, it offers a pretty, open-knit nose that delivers oil-cured olive, incense, blueberry and gravel. As it interacts with the palate, it becomes more red-fruited and spice-driven. The tannins are super-chalky, giving weight and grounding to this inky, minerally rich wine. The 2021 over-delivers big time, especially at only $28.

2019 GRIZZLY GRENACHE (Estate)
The 2019 Grenache Grizzly is really pretty, unwinding in the glass with a finessed, sensual array of red berry fruit, blood orange, black tea leaves and cinnamon—perfectly varietal and beautifully knitted together. Soft textures and cooling acids ride the wave all the way from beginning to end. Everything is rhythmic and relaxed here, cascading gently through the mouth in a perfectly proportioned package without a hair out of place. The name may connote something wild and animalistic, but this wine is just the opposite—pleasantly restrained and elegant.