Tried last night w/ dinner:
1. SanSakana Syrah LasMadresVnyd/Carneros (14.5%; http://www.SanSakana.com) 2004: Very dark color; beautiful spicy/peppery/cracked black pepper bit gamey/roasted intense blackberry/Syrah/framboise bit chocolaty/licorice light toasty/oak/smokey complex nose; soft big/rich peppery/roasted/pungent/roasted very spicy/blackberry/Syrah/blueberry/plummy lush/ripe flavor; very long ripe/blackberry/Syrah/RCCola quite spicy some roasted/pungent/black pepper finish w/ light tannins; will go another 4-5 yrs; a terrific Carneros Syrah much more SantaBarbara in style than most. $39.00
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2. Jaffurs HankPitcher SouthSwell Syrah SantaBarbaraCnty (14.5%) 2002: Very dark/black color; deep blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah very spicy/roasted/coffee/espresso lovely nose; tart intense blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry some coffee/espresso bit tannic/hard light toasty/oak flavor; very long intense blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry some pungent/espresso/coffee light toasty/oak finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs but developing beautifully. $27.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. SanSakana: This is a wnry I discovered last summer when one of the owners, Bettina Briz, was in SantaFe and left me a few btls to try. I'd had the LasMadres Syrah back in early Auguse and liked it quite a bit and bought a few more btls. Hadn't had it since then, but had been wanting to try it again. So I did. I was mightly impressed in how it's evolved in the last 6 months. A very/very impressive wine now and should continue to evolve; as good a Syrah from Carneros as I've seen from HudsonVnyd, I'd have to say.
They will be debuting their '05 Syrahs at RhoneRangers, plus a Mourvedre, in March. Oyyy...another one of my must-stops there.
Tom