We tasted last week at our Pig+Fig tasting, two older Failla Syrahs:
1. Failla Syrah EstateVnyd/SonomaCoast (14.8%; www.FaillaWines.com) 2007: Dark color w/ slight bricking; beautiful strong c-c/black pepper very strong blackberry/spicy/blueberry/Syrah fairly bright rather complex perfumed nose; quite tart/tangy very bright very spicy/Syrah/blackberry rather c-c/peppery structured slight smokey/Rhonish complex flavor w/ modest tannins; very long/lingering c-c/peppery finish that follows flavor; no signs of age or going downhill; probably at its peak or slightly beyond; should go another 5 yrs or so; a beautiful classic c-c Syrah.
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2. Failla Syrah PhoenixRanch/NapaVlly (14.2%) EhrenJordanWineCllrs/St.Helena 2008: Very dark color w/ little bricking; strong very ripe/boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah rather simpler some toasty/Fr.oak much stronger nose; bit soft strong blackberry/boysenberry/ripe Syrah some toasty/Fr.oak much simpler rather rich/lush flavor w/ light soft tannins; very long finish that follows flavor; a more intense Syrah but much simpler than the Estate.
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More stucklefrick from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. I have, of course, followed EhrenJordan's efforts w/ Syrah from the very start when he was making the Syrah for Bruce Neyers. He was the first to make Syrah from AlRago's Que Syrah Vnyd way out on the Sonoma Coast, which drew Ehren to cold-climate Syrah. Which he planted on his Estate vnyd way out on the SonomaCoast a stone's throw from the Pacific. This may have been his first Estate Syrah if memory serves.
The Phoenix Ranch is a much warmer vnyd in the NapaVlly. It makes good/solid Syrah but they are not nearly as interesting as other Syrahs....a bit on the simple/grapey side. The Estate Syrah is about as good a c-c Syrah as you can find.
Tom