2009 Horseshoe Vineyard Syrah
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Tasting notes
Bright purple. Blackberry, cherry and pungent spices on the powerfully scented nose. Sappy and palate-staining, offering potent, impressively deep dark fruit and violet pastille flavors. Surprisingly lithe and silky in texture for all its power. Turns spicier with air and finishes bright, floral and very long.
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
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A totally brilliant Syrah that's reminiscent of a top Côte Brune with its mix of iron, black pepper, violets, and game, the 2009 Rhys Syrah Horseshoe Vineyard starts out dense and tight, but slowly unwinds over the evening to show a firm, yet elegant texture, beautifully integrated acidity, and a classically structured and tannic finish. Despite the slightly masculine profile and structure, this has the fruit to handle it. Give bottles 2-4 years in the cellar and then drink over the following decade or longer. Lovers of Syrah should not miss this beauty and it would stand toe to toe with anything coming out of California or France.
The 2009 Syrah Horseshoe Vineyard opens with black pepper, game, crème de cassis and white flowers. Blackberries and blueberries appear later, adding further complexity on the finish. This is a decidedly cold-weather, angular Syrah that needs time in the bottle for some of the contours to soften. The Syrah is scheduled to be released in 2012.
The 2009 Syrah Horseshoe Vineyard opens with black pepper, game, creme de cassis and white flowers. Blackberries and blueberries appear later, adding further complexity on the finish. This is a decidedly cold-weather, angular Syrah that needs time in the bottle for some of the contours to soften. The Syrah is scheduled to be released in 2012. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Inspired by a love for Burgundy, proprietor Kevin Harvey has set his sights on making top-flight Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Pinots in particular are exceptional for their sheer personality, but I also think the wines could also prove to be some of the most long-lived Pinots from California because of their minerality and structure. I tasted a wide range of wines with Harvey and winemaker Jeff Brinkman, including a number of older Pinots going back to 2006. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) none of those older wines appears close to being ready to drink! The Rhys team is obsessed with their vineyards. Everything else is fairly straightforward. The Chardonnays are vinified using ambient yeasts. The wines are not racked until they are prepared for bottling, which is done with no fining or filtration. The Pinots are made in a similarly minimalist fashion, with a high percentage of stems (50-100%) and little manipulation in the cellar. Harvey describes 2009 as a cooler vintage overall than 2008. Tel. (866) 511-1520; www.rhysvineyards.com