Tried this last night w/ my leftover steak and creamed succotash cassarole:
1. Failla Syrah PhoenixRanch/NapaVlly (14.3%; www.FaillaWines.com) 2001: Very dark color w/ slight bricking; lovely blackberry/Syrah/very spicy rather Rhonish/coffee/roasted smoky/pungent slight menthol complex beautiful Rhonish nose; slightly tart slight tannic/astringent strong pungent/smoky/roasted/Rhonish/coffee some blackberry/Syrah light toasty/charred/oak complex flavor; slight tannic/astringent/dried out smoky/pungent/coffee/Rhonish some blackberry/Syrah light charred/oak complex finish; a really beautiful Rhonish/Syrah that's ready to go or starting downhill. $42.00
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BP:
1. After finishing my Barbera, I cast about for something to open to finish up the meal. I have a box of trash wines just sitting in my garage, no temperature controls, so rummaged thru that for a throw-away wine. Somehow this Failla had wandered into my trash box, on its own accord. So it had been sitting there for 6-7 yrs, pretty warm in the summer and near freezing in the winter. I am doomed, I thought. But opened it anyway..what the heck. I was amazed at how good it was...amazingly good.
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2. I'm a big fan of EhrenJordan's Syrahs; particularly his Neyers ones and his own from his Estate vnyd. Not that big a fan of his Failla/Phoenix Syrah. Find them like many up-Valley Syrahs; lots of big Syrah fruit but not much interesting. This one was easily the best Failla Napa I've yet had; amazingly Rhonish in character.
Tom