We tried last night (7/17/13) Some Jaffurs & others:
1. StCosme AP: CdRBlanc (13.5%; Viognier/Picpoul/Roussanne/Marsanne) Louis et Cherry Barruol/Gigondas
2011: Med.light gold color; rather fragrant floral/Viog/pear light mineral/stony attractive nose;
bit soft lush/rich strong floral/pear/Viog some stony/mineral/metallic flavor; very long slight
metallic/stony quite perfumed/Viog/floral/pear finish; a really lovely CdRBlanc at a very good
price. $17.00 (WEx)
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2. Presidio Viognier artistic license PresidioVnyd/SBC (EG; DemeterCertifiedBioDynamic; 13.5%;
www.PresidioWinery.com) Lompoc 2008: Med.light gold color; very strong toasty/charred/burnt/oak/
pungent slight floral/Viog/peach some funky/strange nose; soft some peachy/ripe/floral/Viog some
charred/burnt/oak rather rich/lush flavor; long some mineral/peachy/Viog bit metallic strong
charred/burnt/oak finish; many did not like this wine at all, but I just thought it was slammed
w/ too much burnt oak and there were some interesting Viog character underneath; a bit like some
Cuilleron Condrieus I recall. $25.00 (WH)
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3. TreViti Syrah Anno di Lucia StoloFamilyVnyd SLOCnty (14.5%) 2008: Med.color; very spicy/peppery/
cold-climate beautiful floral/black cherry/Syrah complex rather Pinotish nose; tart bright/peppery/
cold-climate quite floral/perfumed/black cherry/Syrah/very spicy elegant/balanced flavor w/ light/
smooth tannins; very long spicy/black peppery/black cherry/black cherry cola/cold-climate Syrah
finish w/ light/smooth tannins; a beautiful/elegant cold-climate Syrah in a rather Pinotish style;
probably at its peak. $26.00
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4. TreViti Syrah Anno di Emma StoloFamilyVnyd/CentralCoast (14.6%) SanLuisObispo 2007: Dark color;
rather pungent/smokey/Rhonish bit reduced/graphite some charred/toasty/oak strong cracked black
pepper/cold-climate/blackberry/Syrah beautiful nose; softer pungent/roasted/Rhonish/roasted/smokey
strong blackberry/Syrah/cracked black pepper/pungent/cold-climate Syrah some smokey/oak flavor w/
some tannins; very long strong/pungent/roasted/Rhonish some toasty/smokey/oak very strong cracked
black pepper/cold-climate Syrah/blackberry finish w/ some soft/round tannins; lots of pungent
character and maybe a bit reduced but very NorthernRhone in character w/o the floral Syrah
component; some disliked this because of the somewhat reduced character; still can go a few yrs.
$25.00
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5. TreViti Syrah Anno di Isabella StoloFamilyVnyd/CentralCoast (15.0%) 2006: Dark color w/ slight
bricking; strong Rhonish/smokey/pungent less cracked black pepper less reductive strong blackberry/
Syrah bit peppery/cold-climate Syrah complex nose; tart spicy/cold-climate/black pepper rich/ripe
strong blackberry/Syrah complex flavor w/ light smooth tannins; long some cracked black pepper/
cold-climate strong blackberry/Syrah/ripe/lush complex bit Rhonish finish w/ light/smooth tannins;
a beautiful/mature/smooth cold-climate Syrah; somewhat riper than the other three. $25.00
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6. TreViti Syrah StoloFamilyVnyd/Cambria/CentralCoast (14.6%; www.TreViti.com) Stephen Dooley/SantaMaria
2005: Dark color w/ some bricking; strong plummy/blackberry/Syrah/ripe bit WashState-like slight
peppery/cold-climate some pencilly/aged/cedary complex nose; tart smooth/polished pencilly/cedary
ripe/blackberry/Syrah slight peppery flavor w/ light/smooth tannins; long tart rich/ripe slight
cracked black pepper/cold-climate light pencilly/cedary complex finish w/ smooth/delicate tannins;
starting to show some age and probably as good as it will ever be; shows a biit more ripeness and
less of the cold-climate/cracked black pepper character; a lovely/mature Syrah. $25.00
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7. Vignalta AgnoTinto IGT: Rosso del Veneto (Syrah+Marzemino; 13.5%) Vignalta/ArquaPetrarca 2005: Very
dark color; strong pungent/graphite/ozone/burning brake shoe bit Chianti-like/goatpen/hot-climate/
unclean bit reduced/pungent some licorice/blackberry/Syrah rather earthy/loamy interesting/strange/
unattractive nose; soft bit tangy/metallic/burning brake shoe some funky/unclean bit earthy/loamy
slight blackberry/Syrah flavor w/ some rather hard tannins; med.long tangy/pungent/burnt metal bit
funky/unclean/Chianti-like slight blackberry/Syrah finish w/ some hard tannins; more like a cheap
Chianti or an unclean Puglia red than from the Veneto; a rather plug-ugly red that even the Syrah
cannot rescue. $25.00 (WEx)
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8. Jaffurs Grenache SBCnty (13.7%; 60% ThompsonVnyd/30% LarnerVnyd/10% AmpelosVnyd; Clones: Alban/
Thompson&Ampelos, 362/Larner; 14.5%; 329 cs) 2010: Med.light color; lovely/aromatic/perfumed bright/
strawberry/Grenache/spicy light toasty/oak nose; soft strong strawberry/Grenache/spicy/bright light
toasty/oak rather light/elegant pretty flavor w/ slight tannins; med. bright/Grenache/strawberry
light oak finish w/ light tannins; quite a pretty/bright Grenache; lightest Jaffurs Grenache that
I can recall. $30.00
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9. Jaffurs HighTide SBCnty (50% ThompsonVnyd/Mourv/Clone 1, 33% AmpelosVnyd/Grenache/Alban clone,
17% BienNacidoVnyd/Syrah/Estrella clone; 13.9%; Bttld: April 21'12; 150 cs) 2010: Med.dark color;
strong plummy/Mourv/strawberry/boysenberry slight meaty/menthol/spicy some toasty/oak quite
attractive nose; soft bit hard/tannic rather plummy/Mourv/strawberry light toasty/oak some spicy
flavor; long rather plummy/Mourv/strawberry/Grenache light toasty/oak finish w/ some hard tannins;
needs 3-6 yrs of age; quite an attractive blend that speaks mostly of Mourv. $38.00
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10. Jaffurs Syrah Verna'sVnyd/CatCanyon/LosAlamos/SBCnty (14.8%; Clone 1/Estrella/877/174; 13 of 28 brls;
Bttld: Sept 15'12; 296 cs) 2010: Dark color, bit alcoholic rather spicy/blackberry/Syrah/licorice
slight cinammon/spicy/toasty/oak big fruit nose; soft rather spicy/blackberry/Syrah bit toasty/oak
flavor w/ modest/smooth tannins; long smooth/lush/balanced strong blackberry/Syrah/licorice light
toasty/oak finish w/ smooth/lush tannins; loaded w/ straightforward blackberry/Syrah fruit but a bit
on the simple side compared to the BienNacido & Thompson. $40.00
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11. Jaffurs Syrah BienNacidoVnyd/SantaMariaVlly/SBCnty (14.5%; Estrella clone; 9 brls of 16;
SaH: Block Zb, 25.5 Brix, pH: 3.7/Block 49, 22.5 Brix, pH: 3.3; Bttld: Sept 15'12; 219 cs) 2010:
Very dark color; very strong black cherry/Syrah/classiv BN slight peppery/cold-climate light toasty/
oak quite fragrant/perfumed/spicy lovely nose; tart bit tannic strong black cherry/blackberry/Syrah
light toasty/oak slight licorice/pungent flavor w/ smooth/polished/elegant tannins; very long/
lingering strong black cherry/Syrah/blackberry lighht toasty/oak light licorice finish w/ some
gentle tannins; great balance & structure and should go out 10 yrs; lots of that clasic BienNacido
black cherry character; a lovely BienNacido. $40.00
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12. Jaffurs Syrah ThompsonVnyd/LosAlamosVlly/SBCnty (15.1%; Estrella clone; SaH: 24.4 Brix, pH: 3.6;
10 brls of 14; Bttld: Sept 15'12; 219 cs) 2010: Dark color; strong plummy/blackberry/Syrah/slight
boysenberry/ripe quite spicy/peppery light toasty/oak really lovely nose; bit tart rather tannic/hard
strong blackberry/Syrah/ripe/boysenberry very spicy/peppery light toasty/oak flavor; very long/lingering
strong blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/ripe quite spicy/peppery light toasty/oak somewhat tannic/hard
finish w/ slight alcoholic heat; a big structured Syrah w/ classic Thompson peppery character; well-
structured and should go out 10 yrs. $40.00
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13. Jaffurs HankPitcher SouthSwell Syrah LarnerVnyd/SBC (14.5%) 2005: Very dark color; strong black pepper/
blackberry/boysenberry/very ripe some chocolaty/blueberry/licorice rather alcoholic nose; soft/fleshy/
ripe/lush strong boysenberry/Syrah/ripe/blackberry chocolaty/plummy some toasty/charred/oak flavor w/
gentle/soft tannins; very long lush/ripe plummy/boysenberry/Syrah/blackberry some chocolaty/licorice
some charred/toasty/oak bit alcoholic/hot finish w/ modest tannins; seems on the ripe side and the alcohol
is starting to show; probably near ready to drink. $32.00
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And more pontifications from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. TreViti: This is one of my very favorite producers. The StoloFamilyVnyd is in Cambria, just a mile or so
from the Pacific, is probably the coldest Syrah vnyd in all Calif. Used to be known as TresHermanos vnyd
as I recall. In addition to the Syrah, they also grow PinotNoir and Chard, and now SauvBlanc as well.
I have. of course, followed TreViti from the very start. When I heard they had planted Syrah clear
out by Cambria, even further west than Bassetti, I thought they were crazy. I purchased some of their wines,
tried them, and was mightly impressed by their cold-climate character. I had known SteveDooley from his
early days at Talley and liked his Stephen Ross wines (Pinot/Chard) quite a lot. After a lot of e-mail
exchanges w/ Maria Bennetti, I finaly met her at the vnyd and walked the property afore one HdR. It's
an impressive vnyd. The Syrahs are some of the best cold-climate Syrahs produced in Calif. The Pinots
and Chards are also top-notch..with a delicate/elegant character that speaks of their cold-climate
upbringing. TreViti is a wnry people should know more about...it's one of my favorites.
Isabella and Emma are Maria's two little girls.
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2. Jaffurs: I have, of course, followed Craig Jaffurs from the very start. BobSenn (jeez...I miss that guy)
told me on one of my visits that I should meet Craig...that he was making some interesting Rhones. So
the next vist to SantaBarbara, Craig met up w/ LarryArchibald (he, too, has followed Jaffurs from the
very start) on the front porch of the LosOlivos Wine&Spirits Emposium on a grey/gloomy/fog-shrouded
Sat morning. We were served a cloudy/murky Viognier and another white from little Gerber BabyFood
jars (the Reidel editions, of course). The wines I don't recall as being especially memorable (sorry,
Craig), but we chatted for almost an hour and I was quite taken by his passion for making Rhones.
So I've been a buyer ever since. Sometimes, for old times sake, I'll drink my Jaffurs from Reidel
baby food jars.
It's been interesting to watch the evolution of the Jaffurs wines over the yrs. For awhile, the
wines were getting pretty big and on the alcoholic side. I needled them a bit about making Oz-style
wines....though it was mostly in jest...I never really thought the alcohols were over-the-top.
Since then, either thru intent or vintage conditions, the alcohols have dropped somewhat. I think
the wines are less homogeneous in character than they used to be and much more expressive of the vnyd
sites. They seem a bit more polished/seamless in style and less big-for-big's sake. In particular,
I think the whites are some of the consistently best Rhone whites being made in Calif.
Good wines/fairly priced/great people.
Tom