2006 RICHARD PERRY VINEYARD SYRAH
Napa Valley
For 15 years this remarkable vineyard on a Napa Valley hillside has produced intense, pepper-laden fruit. With the vineyard's recent sale, this year's Syrah is particularly precious — these 115 cases, made with 30% whole-cluster fermentation and foot-stomping, are the last we'll ever offer. 115 cases produced.
TASTING NOTES
We find the nose full of intense, mouth-watering black pepper, herbs, creosote, blackberry, anise, and chocolate. Once in the mouth, the full body carries exceptionally pungent flavors echoing the nose, leading to a perfumed finish which features soft tannins but the structure to age, with a lingering note of sandalwood.
Review: Wine Spectator Insider, Dec 26, 2007
Wonderful aromas of blackberry, black and white pepper and new leather fold over to the palate. This keeps its focus, ending with a tight yet complex and expansive finish. Drink now through 2012. James Laube - 92 points
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 2008
Good deep medium ruby. Musky aromas of blackberry, white pepper, smoked meat, mocha and rosemary. Very rich, dense and peppery, if not particularly complex today; noteworthy for its fat middle and clarity of aromas. Finishes with fairly fine tannins. An intriguing syrah that was vinified with about one-third whole clusters. From an east-facing hillside planted on volcanic ash in the southeast corner of Napa. The pH here is a high 4.0, and yet the vines are in shade after 5:00 in the afternoon, according to winemaker Mike Hirby. Stephen Tanzer - 91 points
2006 ALDER SPRINGS VINEYARD PINOT NOIR
Mendocino County
2006 marks our first vintage at Alder Springs with the new blocks from the 2,500-foot high Desmond parcel, and we are incredibly satisfied with the results! The wine is deeper, darker, and even more supple than in any years past. 115 cases produced.
TASTING NOTES
This Pinot lifts heavenly spice, raspberry, and violet scents from the glass. In the mouth, the wine is big and rich, yet lithe and very smooth, with vivid raspberry and smoke flavors and a beautifully soft structure. Yet the lingering impression is of liveliness and energy — good signs for a long life ahead!
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 2008
($39) Good medium-deep red. Wild, nuanced nose offers notes of raspberry, meat, earth, cola, orange peel and rose petal. Sweet and lush but sappy, with a firm edge to its raspberry and spice flavors. Finishes with broad, fine-grained tannins and very good verve. This is about much more than just fruit. Stephen Tanzer - 91 points
2005 ALDER SPRINGS VINEYARD SYRAH
Mendocino County
In 2005, the temperate Alder Springs was even cooler than usual. While the result was fewer ripened grapes, those harvested had a long full season to mature, locking in wonderful sweet flavor. 108 cases produced.
TASTING NOTES
Exotic and lush aromas of raspberry, blueberry, pepper, incense, mint, and mineral greet your nose. On the palate, the wine shows its cool-climate vintage with a fantastically fluid texture and great intensity, kicking off a vivid array of blueberry, toast, mineral and sassafras flavors well into the long finish. Our most voluminous Alder Springs Syrah to date.
Review: Wine Spectator Insider, Dec 26, 2007
Has gorgeous fruit that’s ripe and fleshy, with plum, wild berry, blackberry and exotic spice notes all woven together in a seamless package, with a round, supple texture. Finishes with a long, persistent burst of fruit, excellent acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2014. James Laube - 94 points
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 2008
Candied red and black berries on the nose, with a floral topnote. Intense berry and spice flavors turn sweeter on the back, offering a flavor of hard candy. Very firm and youthful wine that calls for a bit of patience. From a cool year and a cool site: these vines were harvested into November. Stephen Tanzer - 92 points
2005 ARTEFACT
60% CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 30% PETIT VERDOT, 10% SYRAH
Napa Valley
As the longtime Winemaker for Napa Valley Cabernet producers Realm Cellars, Rockledge Vineyards, and Sherwin Family Vineyards, Mike decided it was time to make a Cabernet-based wine for Relic — but with a twist. An homage to vignerons in Bordeaux, who added Syrah to Cabernet-based wines to deepen the color and enhance the aromatics, Artefact pushes the boundaries in the best possible way, with full black-fruit complexity and ultra-fine tannins.
TASTING NOTES
Deep, dark aromatics of blackberry, anise, chocolate, vanilla, and violet emanate from the glass. The rich palate is full and plush, with ultra-soft tannins and great intensity, leading to a finish that is supple and long, with a great balance of elegance and power. The Syrah kicks in to finish it off with a lingering note of black pepper.
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 2008
($65; a blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% petit verdot and 10% syrah) Bright medium ruby. Lively aromas of black cherry, dark raspberry and flowers. High-toned, fine-grained and superconcentrated but quite powerful and youthfully closed today, despite boasting a rather creamy texture. A big boy that finishes with major tannins that hit the palate late. The cabernet here is from an alluvial gravel and clay hillside in the cool Coombsville area. Stephen Tanzer - 91 points
2005 Alder Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir
Mendocino County
2005 brought the longest, coolest growing season to date for Alder Springs Vineyard, and the Pinot Noir really benefited from this. The color is a vibrant cherry red. The nose is full of complex spice, herb, cola, cherry and strawberry aromas; and the texture fulfills this promise of complexity, with a lithe, elegant, yet rich mouthfeel. The lowest in alcohol of all of our Pinots to date, we feel the 2005 is a huge step in the stylistic direction first begun in 2004 - meaning more aroma, fresher flavors, and better texture. 110 cases made.
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 07
Moderately saturated medium ruby. Sexy aromas of musky raspberry, caramel, tobacco, smoke and nutty oak, all lifted by wild herbs. Sappy, dry and rather politely styled, with firm acidity restraining the wine's sweetness. Spicy, easy-to-drink wine with subtle persistence. Just this side of lean but there's lovely freshness here. "With no heat spikes in 2005, we finally had a chance to make Burgundian-style pinot noir," noted owner/winemaker Mike Hirby. This has a natural pH of 3.7; normally it's 3.9 or even higher from this site. 90 points - by Stephen Tanzer
2005 Richard Perry Vineyard Syrah
Napa Valley
High-pitched notes of raspberry, blackberry, mint, sassafrass, bacon and chocolate form a virtual fountain of aroma coming out of a glass of this wine. It has as much of the essence of the Rhone valley in it as one could ask for from a California Syrah; and yet the black color, mouthfeel and finish are 100% California, with that unctuous richness and full-bodied intensity of flavor that we love. 115 cases made.
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 07
From a cool, steep, east-facing hillside featuring volcanic ash, next to Caldwell Vineyard in Coombsville; vinified with 30% whole clusters. Good saturated medium ruby. Expressive, complex aromas of black raspberry, smoked meat and white pepper. Sweet, ripe and rich, with firm acid and tannin spine framing the dark fruit, chocolate and smoked meat flavors. Still a bit youthfully unevolved but this is smooth, sweet, elegant and highly aromatic, with lovely lingering sweetness on the back. The pH here is close to 4.0 (the ash soil has a very high potassium content), but Hirby believes the wine has enough power and was afraid that acidification would have exaggerated the tannins and created a more muscular wine. 92 points - by Stephen Tanzer
Review: Wine Advocate #168, Dec 06
Abundant amounts of white chocolate, gamy meat, and black fruit aromas as well as a hint of subtle oak jump from the glass of the 2005 Syrah Richard Perry Vineyard. With a full-bodied, savory mouthfeel, expressive aromatics as well as flavors, and a supple finish, it should drink well for 5-6 years. 91-93 points - by Robert Parker
2005 Sonoma Valley Syrah
White pepper, roses, cola, asphalt and blackberries radiate from this purple wine's nose. You can almost feel the warmth of the large stones that comprise 50% of the soil in this vineyard. The mouthfeel remains juicy and smooth, leaving an impression of full-bodied power mixed with lingering spicy aromatics on the finish. 140 cases made.
2004 Alder Springs Vineyard Syrah
Mendocino County
Mouth-watering aromas of créme de cassis, blackberry, white pepper, and violet explode from the glass in our 2004 Alder Springs Syrah. This spent a full 18 months on the lees, and the extended ageing has brought a creamy indulgence to the wine that is simply delicious. The body is very full and the palate is deliciously sweet, leading to a blockbuster of a chocolaty finish that lasts and lasts beyond the very fine tannins.
Review: Wine Advocate #168, Dec 06
From Mendocino, the 2004 Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard exhibits a blueberry, raspberry, floral character that suggests a cool climate site, as well as notes of underbrush and pepper. It offers excellent texture, medium to full body, and a tasty, savory personality. Enjoy it over the next 5-6 years. 90 points - by Robert Parker
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/June 06
(15.3% alcohol) Medium ruby. High-pitched, soil-inflected aromas of raspberry, sour cherry, minerals, crushed stone, licorice, mint and white pepper. Juicy and tightly wound, with very primary dark fruit, mint and chocolate. Still a bit youthfully hard and tight. Owner/winemaker Mike Hirby vinified with about 10% whole clusters "for aromatic interest." Very firmly structured and promising syrah. 89-92 Points - by Stephen Tanzer
2003 Alder Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir
Mendocino County
The late season of 2003 produced our best Pinot Noir to date, with a beautiful balance of all the elements, well-articulated cherry cola and delicate spice nuances in the bouquet. This leads the way to a rich palate with superb texture and fine detail. This is a concentrated, dense Pinot that will benefit from a little air, so we recommend decanting this wine for a bit before serving to allow the flavors to unfold. Aged on the lees for 9 months in 50% new French Oak. 265 cases made.
Review: Wine Spectator
Ripe and full-bodied, with tasty plum, blackberry and boysenberry fruit flavors accented by a touch of cedar and fresh earth. Finishes with firm, minerally tannins and a sense of elegance and grace. Drink now through 2008. 265 cases made. 88 points - by James Laube
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 05
Medium, dullish red. Musky aromas of strawberry, raspberry, maraschino cherry, minerals, earth, cola and loam. Fat, sweet and thick, but not at all a fruit bomb. A chewy, lush wine that finishes with lots of dusty, slightly drying tannins. Hot, dry September weather stressed the vines and sent potassium levels up, resulting in a very high pH. But winemaker Mike Hirby did not acidify. 88 points - by Stephen Tanzer
2003 Alder Springs Vineyard Syrah
Mendocino County
This is our first Syrah, and we love it! From start to finish, we knew it would be great. The first sign was the berries the size of peas, then the black-purple color during the cold-soak, then the amazing intensity of flavor during fermentation, and then...and then...and then... The story could go on and on, just like the wine on the palate. Think perfectly ripe blackberries, stunning violets, black olives, and hints of charcoal. Flavorful, concentrated, and yet not too much. Drink it. Aged on the lees for 11 months in 80% new French Oak. 110 cases made.
Review: Wine Advocate #168, Dec 06
The dark ruby/purple-hued 2003 Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard offers up scents of chocolate, espresso, blueberries, black cherries, and cassis along with sweet tannin, a chunky, full-bodied mouthfeel, and a corpulent finish. It can be consumed now and over the next 3-4 years. 90 points - by Robert Parker
Review: Wine Spectator
Wonderful aromatics, with spice, beef, pepper, huckleberry and boysenberry flavors. Deeply concentrated and well-structured, leaving plenty of room for flavor yet framing it with acidity and tannins that bring out the best in the fruit. Drink now through 2012. 110 cases made. 93 points - by James Laube
Review: International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 05
Saturated ruby. Captivating, complex aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, dark chocolate, gunflint, mocha and white pepper; just the nose of this wine makes the case that this is a terrific site for syrah. Superripe, dense and a bit unrefined, with intense flavors of black fruits, pepper and mint. This has the sheer fruit to support its big, broad tannins and major load of alcohol (15.9%). Hirby says he vinified and aged this syrah like pinot noir, leaving it on its lees until the bottling. (I also tasted a highly promising 2004, which showed more structure and less obvious sweetness; Hirby noted that the fruit enjoyed longer hang time in '04, but that the wine will be lower in alcohol and a bit less tannic than the 2003.) 91 points - by Stephen Tanzer
2002 Alder Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir
Mendocino County
Upon opening, the 2002 Alder Springs bursts from the glass with deep, fruity, spicy aromas with hints of bacon and toast, and a bright cherry note. Once again, the cool East- and North-facing aspects of this warm site have provided a strong but subtle representation of Pinot Noir, yet with more precision and power than in 2001. The mouthfeel is rich and suave, with ultra-smooth tannins and a certain fluidity, giving grace to the expression of this unique hillside site. The finish is long and complex, with notes of cream and sassafras leaving a warm, lasting impression.
