Deep purple color. The nose shows a nice mix of tangy plums and blueberries, with spicy pepper, anise, some coffee, toffee and mocha. Nice grip on the palate but the tannins have these suave edges and the acidity is really nice, balancing out the deep plum and currant fruit. Notes of black olive, tar, mocha, black pepper and bell pepper add complexity, and I love the deep, earthy, mineral and stony vibes in here. There’s a ton of freshness in here for a Petite Sirah. This puppy will age wonderfully. All PS aged in all French oak.
Similar Posts
2016 Petite Sirah / 94 Pts / Tasting Panel
Lake County’s rocky red volcanic soil, the 18-acre estate mountain biodynamically farmed vineyard’s high elevation up to 2,200 feet, results in a distinctively elegant expression of this teeth-clutching variety. Aromas of boysenberry, dark chocolate and brush lead to a finely grained texture with notes of dusted chocolate mint, violets and a sinewy, gliding finish of licorice and purple fruit.
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon / 93 Pts / Tasting Panel
Deep garnet color and a lush nose of berry and oak. Smooth, juicy and tangy, with crisp berry flavors and bright acidity; long and charming.
2016 Block Three / 93 Pts / Cellar Selection / Wine Enthusiast
This impressive and well-balanced wine is concentrated in a delicious black-fruit flavor, with a softly tannic, velvety texture that’s seductive. Layers of pure blueberry, black cherry and dark chocolate are wrapped in a creamy mouthfeel.
2017 Cabernet Franc / 93 Points / Wine Enthusiast
Byjuliek
Opulent vanilla and milk-chocolate aromas lead to a firm, moderately tannic palate and concentrated blueberry and dark chocolate flavors in this full-bodied wine. Delicious now, it should be even more complex after 2024.
2019 Cabernet Franc / 94 points / Wine Enthusiast
Byjuliek
Absolutely lush and mouthcoating, this super-concentrated and deeply colored wine made with organic grapes overflows with blueberries, black currants and dark chocolate. Its abundant tannins are velvety, warmly wrapping up the rich fruit and spice flavors.
2009 Cabernet a Great Wine in Fredric Koeppel’s look back at 2020
This annual post looks back at all the wines I wrote about in the previous year and singles out 50 that I thought were great wines. “Great” doesn’t necessarily imply the most profound, though several of these are as profound as wine gets; nor does it necessarily mean that these are the world’s famed wines intended for laying down in cellars for long aging. I don’t usually encounter such wines anyway.