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Profundities from the Bloody Pulpit:
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Texier Brezeme: This wine has an incredible NorthernRhone/roasted character.
Most people really liked the nose but it hits the palate like a sledgehammer
because of its very high acidity, which I assume means the wine was acidulated.
Sorta like running your fingernails down a chalkboard (for those who remember
what those are!!). I think it bodes well for a long life ahead, but it's
certainly not attractive drinking now.
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Novy Syrahs: This set of Novys struck me as a bit of a change in style
from the 2000's. There seems to be a bit of a pull-back from oak levels,
less emphasis on big/extracted Syrah fruit, more allowing the region/Vineyard
to shine thru, more towards a bit more balance. All three of these Syrahs
were very distinctive; the Garys' a killer. The contrast betwixt the DCV
and RRV Syrahs very much mirrors the similar differences betwixt DCV &
RRV Zins; the DCV shows more high-toned/vibrant/spicy character and the
RRV shows more bass/blackberry/ boysenberry more pungent character. All
three carried their alcohol levels very well. All three, as usual, terrific
values.
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Pax Syrahs: This is the 3'rd of Pax Mahle's 2001 Syrahs we've had. They
have all been very impressive. Definitely a producer to keep your eyes
on.
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Jaffurs Syrahs: Probably the best tableau of Jaffurs Syrahs Craig's yet
made. Larry (Archibald) and I have followed his wines from the very start,
when we set down on Bob Senn's Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium front
porch one morning to try a few barrel samples of his whites. It's been
fun to watch Craig's winemaking style evolve over the yrs, both in the
reds and the whites. He appears to harvest earlier than other producers
from these same Vineyards, leading to a more lean/ restrained/svelte style
of wine. These '01's are the biggest & lushest batch of Syrahs he's
yet made, yet are still a step short from an over-the-top style. Of these
four, the Melville was my clear favorite because of the strong peppery
character. Many/most preferred the Bien Nacido, some the Thompson. The
Thompson is a huge/extracted wine that badly needs some age to show its
best I suspect. Anyway, killer Syrahs at a great price.
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Stolpman Vineyard: This is a Vineyard that as really started to show its
quality over the last yr or two. The Vineyard is impeccably maintained
by Jeff Newton, with every leaf and berry in its right place. The wines,
from multiple producers, always seem to reflect this; they have a bright
laser-sharp varietal correctness to them. The Syrah is planted equally
to Estrella and Durell clones. This Jaffurs seemed to show that bright
strawberry character I first found in Gary Eberle's EstrellaRiver Syrahs
and often see in Syrah made from Estrella clone. It will be interesting
to see Sashi Moorman's rendition of these grapes.
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Melville Vineyard: The original plantings of Melville Syrah were a small
block there on their SantaRitaHills estate, in a less desirable block of
land. Most of it has been grafted over to Pinot, with a small amount left
for Adam Tolmach. I believe this 2001 is the last Craig received from the
SRH estate. In subsequent yrs, the Melville Syrah will be coming from their
new Vineyard up in LosAlamos (the ersatz/Calif one, not the real LosAlamos),
which is a warmer climate, and not far from Thompson Vineyard, as I undersatand.
TomHill
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