BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

offers pleasant cherry and cola flavors. But there’s just a
touch of unripeness that compromises it. —S.H.
abv: 14.6% Price: $66
86
Michael Pozzan 2010 Pinot Noir (Russian
River Valley). There is lots of charm in this
soft, gentle Pinot Noir. It’s not an ager, but it offers some
nice cherry, Dr. Pepper and spice flavors. —S.H.
abv: 13.9% Price: $20
86
Pali 2010 Summit Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita
Hills). Pali’s multi-vineyard Summit blend has
come from various appellations over the years. The
2010 shows the ripe cherry-berry flavors and fine acidity
of the Santa Rita Hills. It’s good, but a bit warm,
sweet and simple. —S.H.
abv: 15.5% Price: $29
85
Armanino Family Cellars 2010 The Ringneck
La Encantada Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita
Hills). This is a soft and sweet effort. It’s a good wine,
with raspberry and cherry jam flavors. This bottling
from Armanino has been inconsistent over the years.
—S.H.
abv: 14.8% Price: $55
85
Pali 2010 Bluffs Pinot Noir (Russian River
Valley). Made in a softly appealing style, this
Pinot is like cherry pie sprinkled with brown sugar and
cinnamon. It shows Pinot Noir’s silky texture. —S.H.
abv: 15.3% Price: $21
85
Pali 2010 Huntington Pinot Noir (Santa
Barbara County). An everyday sort of Pinot.
At this price, it’s worth investigating for wine lovers
curious about this popular variety, but who don’t want
to spend an arm and a leg. It’s rich in raspberries, cola
and spices. —S.H.
abv: 14.6% Price: $21
85
Rexford 2009 Regan Vineyard Pinot Noir
(Santa Cruz Mountains). Sweet and soft,
with cherry pie, date and toffee flavors dominating. You
could almost drink it as a dessert wine. —S.H.
abv: 14.6% Price: $38
84
Jeff Gordon 2009 Pinot Noir (Sonoma
Coast). Heavy and sweet, this wine has melted
cherry-jam and Dr. Pepper flavors and some heat from the
alcohol. —S.H.
abv: 14.5% Price: $56
84
Picket Fence 2010 Pinot Noir (Russian
River Valley). You’ll find lush flavors of cherry
pie, sweet dates and cola in this simple, soft Pinot Noir.
—S.H.
abv: 13.8% Price: $18
84
Stark 2009 Windsor Oaks Vineyard Pinot
Noir (Russian River Valley). There’s a streak
of green unripeness that gives a vegetal note, with some
polished berry and cherry flavors, too. It’s unlikely to
improve with age, so drink up. —S.H.
abv: 14.2% Price: $44
83
Grayson 2010 Lot 5 Pinot Noir (California).
This simple little Pinot Noir has thin fla-
26 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | JULY 2012
vors of sour cherry candy and spices. It’s properly made
and clean, just not very interesting. —S.H.
abv: 13.1% Price: $13
82
Jackhammer 2010 Pinot Noir (Central
Coast). Thick and syrupy, with candied raspberry
and cherry flavors. A simple, soft little Pinot Noir
that tastes as sweet as a pastry. —S.H.
abv: 13.5% Price: $15
82
Leese-Fitch 2010 Pinot Noir (California).
This wine is ripe in raspberry and cherry flavors,
but it feels heavy. The sweetness and lack of structure
make it taste like wine candy. —S.H.
abv: 13.5% Price: $13
82
Tondré 2009 Tondre Grapefield Pinot
Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands). An unfortunate
green, vegetal streak cuts through the heart of this
Pinot Noir. It blurs the cherry fruit and detracts from
the fine silky texture. —S.H.
abv: 14.8% Price: $40
SYRAH
93
Ojai 2008 Solomon Hills Vineyard Syrah
(Santa Maria Valley). A terrific Syrah that’s
dry and as smooth as velvet. It’s elegant on the palate
with complex, tantalizing flavors of ripe black and blue
berries and stone fruits, smoked meat, black pepper and
cedar. Drink this over the next few years, before it loses
freshness. —S.H.
abv: 14.6% Price: $45
91
Andrew Murray 2009 Terra Bella Vineyard
Syrah (Paso Robles). This is arguably
one of the best Paso Robles Syrahs ever. Yes, the alcohol
is high, giving the wine some warmth, but it’s delicious
and complex. It’s entirely dry, with blackberry, black
pepper, bacon, cola and sandalwood flavors. Ready to
drink now, this will pair well with a great steak. —S.H.
abv: 15% Price: $36
91
Andrew Murray 2009 Tous les Jours Syrah
(Central Coast). Shows class and elegance
in the dryness, astringent tannins and crisp acidity that
frame the blackberry, blueberry, teriyaki beef and spice
flavors. The astringency is an integral part of the wine’s
structure. Drink this over the next six years with rich
lamb, game and beef dishes. Editors’ Choice. —S.H.
abv: 14.5% Price: $16
90
Damian Rae 2009 White Hawk Vineyard
Syrah (Santa Barbara County). A very
good Syrah, easily the winery’s best in years. It’s most
notable for the power of its flavors, offering a flood of
black-pepper-infused cured meat and ripe black cherry.
The richness is wrapped into firm tannins. With its long
finish, this should provide pleasant drinking over the
next few years. —S.H.
abv: 14.5% Price: $44
90
Pride Mountain 2009 Syrah (Sonoma
County). Dark, big, bold and extracted, this
Syrah has tough tannins that are threaded with intricate
flavors of blackberry, licorice, pepper, cola and grilled
bacon. The astringency will stand up to big, rich roast-
ed and grilled meats, but it doesn’t seem likely to make
gains beyond the next 3–4 years. —S.H.
abv: 14.6% Price: $60
90
Waxwing 2010 Syrah (Sonoma County).
The aromas of black pepper and grilled meat
immediately pinpoints this as a cool-climate Syrah, and
quite a good one. It’s dry, rich and smoothly tannic, with
blackberry, blueberry, bacon and smoky cedar flavors.
While it’s asy to drink now, this should hold over the
next six years. —S.H.
abv: 14.3% Price: $28
88
Andrew Murray 2010 Watch Hill Vineyard
Syrah (Santa Ynez Valley). The cool vintage
shows in the brisk acidity, hard tannins and herb and
mineral flavors that accompany the usual blackberries
and spices. There’s plenty of elegance, with the wine
showing a highly refined structure. Drink now–2014.
—S.H.
abv: 14.1% Price: $30
88
Chatom Vineyards 2008 Syrah (Calaveras
County). Hello alcohol and black cherry
liqueur. A nicely made and compelling Syrah this is,
although the alcohol is intense. The wine has mighty
tannins and is very fruity, with an added note of black
licorice. The peppery finish will make you want more.
—V.B.
abv: 15% Price: $23
88
Michael David 2010 Sixth Sense Syrah
Syrah (Lodi). Michael David makes bombastically
huge wines, but here they’ve mastered the style,
making a black-as-night Syrah true to it’s roots, with flavors
of dark red fruit, bacon and toast, with a wall of
vanilla and oak. It’s juicy, jammy and surprisingly well
integrated, a wine that’s ready to drink now, preferably
with a sizzling tri-tip. —V.B.
abv: 15.5% Price: $16
87
Arrowood 2009 Saralee’s Vineyard Syrah
(Russian River Valley). Dark, full-bodied
and dry, this Syrah is a bit rustic, with some sharp acidity
accompanying the blackberry fruit and pepper. Doesn’t
show a great deal of complexity, but it’s a solid red wine
for drinking now with hearty meats or stews. —S.H.
abv: 15.5% Price: $40
87
Kagan 2008 White Hawk Vineyard Syrah
(Santa Barbara County). This has lovely aromas
of black pepper and blackberry, but in the mouth,
it turns a bit soft and sweet, with melted chocolate and
blueberry jam flavors. It’s ripe and tasty, but could use
greater structure. —S.H.
abv: 14.6% Price: $54
87
Miraflores 2009 Methode Ancienne Syrah
(El Dorado). At first this comes across as
being a bit heavy, yeasty and tight. With time, however,
this should be full of bramble-fruit flavors. This is
a well-crafted wine, with structure and elegance that
should start to show in 3–5 years. —V.B.
abv: 14.6% Price: $30
87
Rancho Sisquoc 2009 Flood Family Vineyards
Syrah (Santa Barbara County).
This is a likeable Syrah for drinking now. It has soft ac-