2018 Booker Vertigo
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Tasting notes
Dark, shimmering violet. Ripe red/blue fruits, potpourri, incense and exotic spices on the assertively perfumed, expansive nose. Stains the palate with alluringly sweet boysenberry, black raspberry, spice-cake and lavender pastille flavors, which are sharpened by smoky mineral and white pepper flourishes. Shows superb depth but comes off lively and delivers strong floral thrust on an extremely long, gently tannic finish.
Critic scores
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Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Moving to the Vertigo cuvée, this is also a GSM blend yet is always more Syrah-dominated, and the 2018 Vertigo is 55% Syrah, 25% Mourvèdre, and the rest Grenache. Its deeper purple color gives way to a smorgasbord of jammy blackberries, mulberries, chocolate, dry aged meats, and peppery herb-like aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, opulent, and concentrated, it’s still elegant and seamless on the palate. Enjoy this riveting GSM blend over the coming 8-10 years or so.
The 2018 Vertigo is a barrel sample made up of 56% Syrah, 22% Mourvèdre and 22% Grenache aging in 60% new French oak. It has a deep ruby-purple color with tar and grilled meat scents arising over luscious black cherry jam, crème de cassis, blackberry pie, dark chocolate, mint leaves, game meats, violets and loamy earth—this is very expressive already. The palate is medium to full-bodied and silky with explosive flavor layers, dark fruits, spices and meats; it's firm but finely framed and lifted by incredible freshness, finishing very long and layered. Wow! I can't wait to taste this from bottle. Around 945 cases will be made.