Tried this last night after we got the newest vintage:
1. Cline CoolClimate Syrah LazyC Ranch/PetalumaGap/SonomaCoast (http://www.ClineCellars.com) 2006: Very dark/near black color; intense cracked black pepper/cold-climate Syrah some blackberry/Syrah/spicy bit bacony/roasted/espresso slight Rhonish lovely nose; soft rather strong/cracked black pepper some Syrah/blackberry light toasty/oak some Rhonish flavor; med.long strong cracked black pepper/cold-climate Syrah some blackberry/spicy/Syrah finish w/ light tannins; a lovely example of a cold-climate Syrah at a great price. $15.50
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. When Cline first released their Cool-Climate Syrah, I found it rather simple/blackberry and not much cool climate character. The '04 was a good step up. We tried the '05 several months ago, was pretty impressed by it, and ordered a case. When it finally arrived, it was the new vintage, the '06. Though I thought the '05 had a bit more structure, acidity, and tannins; the '06 version is right up there and a worthy successor. Terrific example of that cracked black pepper character you get in cold-climate Syrah, typically in Sta.RitaHills or extreme SonomaCoast.
The PetalumaGap is an interesting area. Though in the SonomaCoast, that AVA covers a multitude of sins, ranging all the way from the far North near Annapolis, all the way over to the town of Sonoma. Though on the Eastern edge, the PetalumaGap is one of the colder areas in the SonomaCoast. Eventually it will have its own AVA I hope. The winds that go roaring thru there certainly make it cold-climate. Some of the Pinots and Syrahs I've had from there are clearly cold-climate in character, some (like the Neyers OldLakevilleRd) don't show a whole lot of cold-climate character. It's an area I think we're going to see some truly great wines emerge from over the next yrs.
Cline has sort of been an under-achiever to me over the last 3-5 yrs, since MattCline's departure. The wines seem soft & soupy and not all that distinctive as they used to be. I hope the turn-around on this CoolClimate Syrah is a hint of things to come.
TomHill