Cracked this last night w/ low expectations:
1. Foxen Syrah MorehouseVnyd/SantaYnezVlly (14%) 1995: Very dark color w/ slight bricking; very strong pungent/smokey some blackberry/Syrah/licorice bit espresso/burnt coffee slight acrid/welding shop bit herbal rather complex nose; tart rather charred/burnt/smokey/oak strong licorice/blackberry/Syrah espresso/Fr.roast coffee slight herbal some tannic/astringent flavor; long somewhat tannic/astringent rather burnt/charred/smokey/pungent/Fr.oak some licorice/blackberry/Syrah espresso/Fr.roast coffee/burnt complex finish; quite an interesting wine but was given too much oak and starting to dry out and on the downside. $28.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. The early Foxen wines were typically given a pretty aggressive new/toasty/Fr.oak treatment. Since then, they've backed off quite a bit on the new oak and their Syrahs show much more balance/fruit and restraint. This wine is paying for its sins of elevage. Though not particularly oak-dominated now, it has a burnt/acrid character like you find in a welding shop. Underneath, though, is still plenty of Syrah fruit...if you look hard enough. For some reason, it reminded my of an old Gourt de Matans/Rasteau. The wine wasn't unpleasant and went fine w/ the rosemary/mustard braised pork shoulder, but you have think outside the box to really appreciate this wine at this stage of its life.
Originally, I loved this wine for its intense Syrah fruit and felt the strong toasty/oak would fade into the background; and thought it would go out 10-20 yrs. At 15 yrs of age, it's getting pretty shakey and will probably go nowhere. Looks like I called this one wrong; I'm a klutzy doofus....whose TN's are not to be trusted.
Tom