Tried the other week (10/6/14) with the SFWG NapaVlly Syrahs:
1. Lagier-Meredith Syrah MtVeeder/NapaVlly (13.7%) 2011: Very dark color; very spicy/blackberry/Syrah/peppery
bit herbal/thyme/rosemary light toasty/oak quite lovely nose; tart herbal/peppery/thyme strong blackberry/
Syrah/very spicy light toasty/oak flavor w/ some dusty Mtn tannins; very long somewhat herbal/thyme strong
blackberry/spicy/Syrah slight toasty/oak finish w/ ample/rough/Mtn tannins; the herbal notes probably
reflect the 2011 vintage; a terrific Syrah that needs 3-8 yrs of age or more. $46.25
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2. Lagier-Meredith Syrah MtVeeder/NapaVlly (400 cs; 14.7%; www.LagierMeredith.com) 2010: Very dark color; strong
ripe/blackberry/Syrah/spicy/boysenberry/licorice/almost Paso-like light toasty/oak lovely rather primary nose;
softer strong ripe/blackberry/boysenberry/licorice/spicy slight peppery light charred/oak flavor w/ ample/
softer tannins; very long/lingering ripe/spicy/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah light charred/oak finish w/ ample
tannins; more ripeness and softer tannins than the '11; needs more age. $48.00
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3. Lagier-Meredith Syrah MtVeeder/NapaVlly (14.3%; 650 cs) 2009: Dark color w/ slight bricking; strong blackberry/
Syrah/spicy light toasty/oak/cedary bit smokey/complex lovely nose; bit tart quite spicy/blackberry/Syrah light
cedary/toasty/smokey/oak slight earthy/dusty rather struvtured bit complex flavor w/ light/tight tannins; very
long strong blackberry/Syrah/bit licorice very spicy light toasty/smokey/oak bit complex finish w/ light/firm
tannins; a lovely very structured Syrah that's starting to show some evolution and still needs more time. $46.25
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4. PrideMtnVnyds Syrah SonomaCnty (14.8%) C&B by PrideMtn/StHelena 2010: Very dark color; strong blackberry/Syrah
bit milk of magnesia/chalky very toasty/oak almost blackcurranty/Cab/intense nose; very strong toasty/oak/charred
blackcurranty/blackberry/Syrah/Cab bit milk of magnesia flavor w/ strong/hard/rugged tannins; very long charred/
toasty/Fr.oak strong blackberry/Syrah/blackcurranty/Cab finish w/ ample/rugged/hard tannins; more like a
NapaVlly Cab than Syrah to me; not very interesting. $nc (BS)/$60.00
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5. Novy Syrah Page-NordVnyd/NapaVlly (14.3%) 2007: Dark color; very strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah slight menthol/
minty rather toasty/smokey/pencilly/Siduri oak very strong blueberry/blackberry/Syrah lovely nose; soft/ripe/
lush very strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/boysenberry/ripe some pencilly/smokey/Siduri oak flavor w/ some soft/
ripe/lush tannins; very long balanced lush/ripe/blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/licorice some toasty/smokey/oak
slight cedary/evolved/complex finish w/ light/smooth tannins; a lovely mature Syrah in a very nice place and
should go another 2-4 yrs. $26.00
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6. Failla Syrah PhoenixRanch/NapaVlly (14.2%; 275 cs; Drk: 2018-2020) 2008: Very dark color; intense blueberry/
blackberry/Syrah/very spicy slight minty/menthol toasty/very smokey complex almost a Burgundian Syrah nose; strong
blueberry/blackberry/Syrah/spicy some smokey/toasty/oak slight peppery some complex flavor w/ strong/firm/ripe
tannins; very long intense blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/very spicy bit peppery rather smokey/Fr.oak/toasty very
structured finish w/ ample/firm/rugged tannins; starting to show some evolution but still a young Syrah; needs
3-8 yrs yet. $49.00
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7. Failla Syrah PhoenixRanch/NapaVlly (400 cs; 14.9%; 75% WholeCluster) 2007: Dark color w/ slight bricking; very
strong blackberry/Syrah/spicy bit pungent/licorice some toasty/smokey/oak/Burgundian slight earthy/Rhonish/
roasted somewhat complex nose; bit tart quite spicy/Syrah/blackberry/blueberry/licorice slight pungent/toasty/oak
flavor w/ ample/rugged tannins; very long strong spicy/blueberry/blackberry/Syrah/licorice/bit peppery some toasty/
smokey/oak bit complex finish w/ rugged/hard tannins; starting to show some evolution but a pretty big/brawny
Syrah that needs more age. $48.00
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8. Failla Syrah PhoenixRanch/NapaVlly (14.9%) 2006: Dark color w/ slight bricking; classic hantavirus/funky/mouse
poop/wet Army blanket slight blackberry/Syrah quite unpleasant nose; rather tannic/astringent/dried out little
fruit quite funky/wet Army blanket/mouse poop flavor; med. funky/hantavirus/mouse poop/wet Army blanket rather
tannic/astringent somewhat dried-out finish w/ little fruit; no signs of TCA but this btl has gone south from
some sort of bacterial condition. $45.00 (SFW&S)
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9. Failla Syrah PhoenixRanch/NapaVlly (14.2%; 475 cs) 2005: Med.dark color w/ light bricking; beautiful smokey/oak/
toasty some Rhonish/roasted/smoked meats very strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/very spicy slight earthy
complex nose; bit tart strong blueberry/Syrah/blackberry/very spicy some smokey/toasty/oak complex flavor w/
light/silky tannins; very long/lingering very strong blackberry/Syrah/blueberry/framboise/very spicy some
smokey/toasty/Fr.oak slight Rhonish/StJoseph/peppery/roasted finish w/ light/smooth tannins; probably ideal
drinking now but should go another 4-6 yrs; my easy favorite of the Faillas. $48.00
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10. Failla Syrah PhoenixRanch/NapaVlly (14.8%) 2004: Dark color w/ light bricking; complex smokey/pungent more
subtle blueberry/Syrah/blackberry very spicy fairly complex/Rhonish some cedary/pencilly/Fr.oak lovely nose;
softer lush/ripe blueberry/Syrah/very spicy/bit peppery some smokey/pencilly/Fr.oak bit earthy/herbal slight
smoked meats bit Rhonish/Graillot StJoseph flavor w/ modest/smooth/resolved tannins; med.long rather lush/ripe
blueberry/Syrah some cedary/pencilly/Fr.oak some Rhonish complex finish w/ smooth tannins; probably at its peak
or starting downwards; a lovely mature Calif Syrah. $44.00
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11. PhoenixRanch Syrah NapaVlly (14.5%; www.PhoenixRanchWines.com) Napa 2010: Very dark/near black color; strong
blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/spicy some peppery bit dusty very light toasty/oak quite aromatic nose; quite
tart/tangy some metallic strong blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/peppery bit earthy/dusty very light toasty/oak
rather austere flavor w/ ample/sharp/bitey/angular tannins; fairly long perfumed/blackberry/Syrah/peppery very
light toasty/oak finish w/ hard/angular/crunchy tannins; clearly not a Syrah made by a Caabernet producer; quite
a spicy/perfumed Syrah but austere & hard as nails on the palate; needs 4-8 yrs yet. $35.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. The NapaVlly is CabernetCountry. They don't get a lot of recognition for their Syrahs. In fact, some of the
(cold-climate) Syrahs from TheCarneros are world class, some of the best made in Calif. Many of the Up-Valley
NapaVlly Syrahs are made by Cabernet producers. Made exactly like their Cabernets. They taste like their
Cabernets...boring. These are a group of Up-Valley Napa Syrahs that are not made like Cabernets.
This tasting didn't particularly change my opinion of Up-Valley NapaVlly Syrahs cause I'd pre-selected them
to be from the best producers of those Syrahs. And they were all pretty beautiful Syrahs. But I always prefer
Ehern's Estate Syrah to his PhoenixRanch; the Novy vnyd-designate Syrahs to Adam's Page-Nord Syrah. I was impressed
by how well this Page-Nord Syrah had evolved. And, of course, the L-M MtVeeder Syrah stands above them all.
But when it comes to other Up-Valley Syrahs, like Lewis or Shafer; I'll pass. They too often taste like just
another NapaVlly Cabernet...and who'd ever deign to drink those??
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2. L-M: I have, of course, followed Steve&Carole's Syrahs from the very start. I've long decried the quality of
many of the up-Valley Syrahs as being more Cabernet in character than Syrah. Their vnyd up on MtVeeder is
definitely a cold-climate vnyd, though I seldom get the cracked black pepper/black olive tapenade character
that I get from the Carneros Syrahs. They do have, though, a very strong blackberry/Syrah fruit and an
incredible spiciness that I get in few other Calif Syrahs. These are Syrahs that are very structured, though
seldom show hard or coarse tannins.....Syrahs made for the long haul. A no-brainer buy for me every year.
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3. PhoenixRanch: This is a Syrah/Viog vnyd located to the NW of Napa on AtlasPeakRd, just off MonticelloRd.
In the eastern NapaVlly foothills below AtlasPeak. I notice that they also make some wine themselves under
the "PhoenixRanch" label, but I've never tried them. Just did try one/above.
Tom