2009 Booker Alchemist
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Tasting notes
A blend of 65% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, and 10% Grenache, the 2009 Booker Vineyard The Alchemist has more heft and mid-palate flesh than the Fracture, as well as slightly more upfront appeal. Exhibiting a rich, intense bouquet of blueberry, violets/crushed flowers, lavender, loamy earth, and smoked meat characteristics, this full-bodied, decadent and hedonistically styled red has a seamless, full texture, brilliant concentration of fruit, and a chewy, structured finish. It can be consumed now, or cellared for 7-8 years or more.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(65% syrah, 15% cabernet sauvignon and 10% each of petit verdot and grenache): Deep, glass-staining ruby. A sexy, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes dark berry preserves, cherry-cola, Asian spices and violet. No way I'd have guessed that syrah was the dominant variety in this lively wine, and I mean that in a positive way. Lithe and precise, given its size, with pure black raspberry and floral pastille flavors that stain the palate. A pure and focused blend with seductive finishing florality and superb length.
The 2009 Alchemist comes across as powerful, tightly coiled and quite inward. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot add considerable structure as layers of blue and black fruit saturate the palate. This is another powerful, long wine endowed with exceptional definition and a dark, brooding personality. In 2009 the blend is 65% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 10% Grenache.
The 2009 Alchemist comes across as powerful, tightly coiled and quite inward. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot add considerable structure as layers of blue and black fruit saturate the palate. This is another powerful, long wine endowed with exceptional definition and a dark, brooding personality. In 2009 the blend is 65% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 10% Grenache. The wine saw 55% new barrels. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024. Eric Jensen left behind a successful career as a concert promoter for a simpler life in Paso Robles, and the wine world is much richer for it. Jensen and his wife Lisa originally bought their property with the intent of growing and selling fruit but quickly caught the bug to make their own wines, which they did starting in 2005. Booker Vineyard is a fascinating property with a number of steep hillside exposures. The Jensens have had some of the best mentors one could hope for, including Justin Smith and Stephan Asseo. I tasted a wide number of wines during my visit, including a handful of the late-release ‘24’ series, which as the name implies, spent 24 months in barrel rather than the more customary 18. Winemaking is quite stripped down to the basics. The wines are fermented with ambient yeasts then go into barrel with their gross lees. Malo is done naturally. The blends are finished post-malo and the wines are bottled with no fining or filtration. Tel. (805) 237-7367; www.bookerwines.com