Also tried these two last week:
1. Tensley Syrah ThompsonVnyd/SBC (13.5%) SantaYnez 1998: Very dark color w/ no bricking; very intense smokey/pencilly/oak slight metallic/ozone quite roasted/baconey/smoked meats/old NRhone beautiful/complex old Syrah nose; bit tart strong roasted/pencilly/smokey/pungent rather roasted/bacon fat old Hermitage flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long/lingering strong roasted/pungent/smokey/oak/charred quite baconey/smoked meats/roasted/old NRhone light blackberry/peppery complex finish w/ light gentle tannins; very much like an old Qupe Syrah or an old Hermitage; a beautiful old Calif Syrah pretty near at its peak. $28.00 (WineCask)
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2. HugCllrs Syrah CentralCoast (13.8%) PasoRobles 2004: Med.color w/ some bricking; rather smokey/toasty/charred/oak slight jamey/ripe Syrah/blackberry/boysenberry/spicy quite interesting/attractive nose; soft rather smokey/toasty/oak bit roasted/Syrah/blackberry/ripe/bit jammy slight Rhonish flavor w/ light drying tannins; very long some blackberry/Syrah/jammy/boysenberry/ripe/spicy some toasty/smokey finish w/ light bit bitey tannins; still holding on and rather interesting old Calif Syrah but needs to be drunk up.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Two more not from my orphan stash.
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2. I have, of course, followed JoeyTensley from the very start...from the days as winemaker at FessParker. He makes pretty big SBC Syrahs that remind me a bit of Jaffurs.
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3. I have, of course, followed AugieHug from the very start...when he was making a little wine on the side down at JohnAlban's...where I first met him. Over the yrs, I've liked his wines quite a lot...good/solid Paso wines at very reasonable prices. Unfortunately...Augie's life has been seriously compromised by his marginal bowling skills. It's difficult to live in the shadow of a BowlingGawd from LosAlamos.
Tom