2003 Loxton Syrah

A bottle of this was given to me by a visiting American friend.

Seeing as it weighs in at 14.5% alcohol, thought it would be a big bruiser of a wine.

But no, it was well-balanced, and even had a tart, raspberry bouquet remniscent of Norther Rhône wines.
The wine was warm and enjoyable to drink now, with good earthy flavors and chocoate nuances on the palate.

An unexpected treat, and apparently quite reasonably priced.

Best regards,
Alex R.

Loxton is a very nice small winery near Glen Ellen, at the upper end of the Sonoma Valley. Chris Loxton is from Australia and he takes particular pride in his Syrahs. I spent a happy half hour one morning chatting and sipping, and I have several bottles tucked away.
His prices are very reasonable, too. www.loxtonwines.com (I Googled it)

John

Thanks for prompting me! I cooked lamb chops tonight and opened a bottle of '05 Loxton "10th Anniversary Release" syrah.
Calif., Sonoma Valley, Loxton, 10th Anniversary Release, Syrah, 2005, 14.3% alcohol, $13.50, Bought 4/09 at the winery.
Opaque, royal purple color. Total syrah, deep fruit with black pepper, strong aroma, medium to long in the finish. Improved considerably over a couple of hours.

It's good wine and excellent value. He makes Syrah and Zinfandel from grapes on his own property and some nearby properties that he farms for other owners.
He also bottles some Chardonnay. I've only opened a couple of bottles. One was overoaked, the other was quite tasty with just enough French oak to fit the style of Chablis. He buys his Chardonnay grapes from a vineyard on the edge of the Carneros district. Literally - half the block is in Carneros and the other half is just "Sonoma County".
It's gryte fun to talk with Chris!

John