Craig Williams brought this special btl to Taos WWF:
1. JosephPhelps Carneros/NapaVlly Syrah 2004: Very dark/black color; very intense blackberry/spicy/Syrah some peppery/gamey light toasty/oak rather complex nose; rich/mouthfilling some toasty/pungent/cedary/oak intense blackberry/Syrah/spicy bit Rhonish/pungent/smokey/black pepper complex very lush flavor; very long/lingering intense blackberry/blueberry/acai/Syrah very spicy/peppery some Rhonish some toasty/smokey/Fr.oak finish w/ ample tannins; needs 2-8 yrs; killer Syrah. $??
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. I've followed the Phelps Syrahs from the very start; the 1974 made from ChristianBros badly virused grapes. The wine, made by WalterShug, was in a Calif Pinot style w/ loads of toasty/charred oak. Not very good example of Syrah. I always felt this wine set back the Calif Syrah market for maybe 6-8 yrs.
Phelps planted Syrah on their SantaHelena property and made the wine from those grapes starting in the late '70's. The wines were nice enough, but nothing that really floated my boat.
Those grapes have long gone. The current Phelps Syrah plantings are down in MontereyCnty and in the Carneros. I've long wanted to try the Phelps Carneros Syrah but have never had an opportunity to. So I pleaded, whined, cried, and offered up my first-born son to Craig to bring a btl to the Taos WWF, which he did.
This wine is an absolutely killer Syrah. It is one of the best Phelps reds I've had...maybe forever (not being a big Cabernet fan). I've always felt that Craig's winemaking skills were such that he should be able to make a Syrah that's of the level of his Insignia. This wine, I feel, is that wine. He probably doesn't agree, but I sure think it is.
Not scheduled for release until this Fall, according to Craig.
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2. LeMistral: Though not poured at this tasting Friday, this is another wine that has impressed me mightly. It has been getting better and better each year. Their CdP blend, made entirely from Monterey grapes, is as good as nearly any of the Calif CdP blends being made these days.
Tom