Proprietor's Wine List
These next few pages are full of some of Karen's favorite wines. Each is unique, with the story to match. No doubt you will find something of interest among these special wines that will catch your eye. Most of these wines are released only once a year and are in very limited supply. Kept under lock and key in the cellar, all of these wines are sure to please.
Ask your server or Karen for availability of your choice.
2006 BEAUX FRERES Pinot Noir Upper Terrace Vineyard,
Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill County, OR $185
Elegant and refined, with a plush underpinning to the luscious raspberry, blackberry and black plum fruit, shaded with subtle hints of peppermint and a whiff of char as the finish sails on smoothly.
Drink now through 2016. 1,191 cases (6 packs) made. Rated 94 Points Wine Spectator
2006 BEAUX FRERES Pinot Noir The Beaux Freres Vineyard,
Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill County, OR $165
Distinctly spicy, with cinnamon and white pepper overtones to the focused red berry and cherry fruit, persisting on the expressive finish and lingering beautifully. Needs time to settle in, but this has the goods to age. Best from 2010 through 2016. 3,548 cases (6 packs) made.
Rated 93 Points Wine Spectator
2006 BEAUX FRERES Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR $100
Soft, open-textured and appealing for its plum, currant and earthy mineral aromas and flavors, which linger against a burr of tannins. Gains richness and complexity with every sip.
Best from 2009 through 2013. Only 1,708 cases (6 packs) made.
Rated 91 Points Robert Parker & Wine Spectator
2005 TORBRECK The Struie Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia $108
The 2005 The Struie was sourced from cooler Eden Valley and Barossa Valley hillside vineyards. It is David Powell’s attempt to showcase the cooler side of the region. Vine age ranges from 46-110 years old. The wine was aged for 18 months in older French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It delivers a splendid bouquet of lead pencil, game, blueberry muffin, and blackberry liqueur. This is followed by an elegant Shiraz which is nevertheless full-bodied, dense, and richly flavored. Plush on the palate, it has superior depth and length and the structure to evolve for 6-8 years. Drink it through 2027.
Rated 94 Points Jay Miller with Robert Parker; 90 Points by Wine Spectator
2005 DUCKHORN Migration Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley $70
This medium-bodied wine has bright fruit complemented by ripe and broad tannins that provide great balance and a lengthy finish. The aroma features blueberry, plum, strawberry pie, and toasted oak. The flavors are focused and follow through with ripe strawberry, plum, and cherry, complemented by clove. A lighter style than the Goldeneye, this wine shows the range and suppleness of the Pinot Noir varietal.
Rated 89 Points Wine Spectator on Line
2004 LONG SHADOW SEQUEL Syrah, Columbia Valley, WA $106
Smooth and velvety, this is a graceful, beautifully balanced Syrah that shows off its blueberry and plum fruit against shades of white pepper and cedar. Made by John Duval, for 15 years the winemaker of Penfolds Grange, one of Australia’s most famous shiraz. The fruit was sourced from five vineyards encompassing several AVAs and includes 3% Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend. Ninety percent of the wine was aged for 18 months in small French oak. Purple/black in color, this superb Syrah offers grilled meat, bacon fat, game and wild blueberry aromas and flavors. On the palate the wine is spicy, layered, and plush with soft tannins and enough acidity to hold things together. This hedonistic effort can be enjoyed now but will easily last for 20+ years. The finish keeps welling up with haunting flavors.
Drink now through 2014. Only 1,359 cases made.
Rated 92 Points Wine Spectator; Rated 93 Robert Parker
1999 PETER LEHMANN The Mentor Barossa Valley $91
56 % Cabernet Sauvignon-20% Merlot-14% Shiraz-10% Malbec
Dark, dense and ripe, not heavy in texture but chewy with soft tannins around a plump core of cherry, herb and smoke flavors. It all lasts impressively.
A classy wine meant to wrap itself around food rather than stand on its own. Rated 90 points by Wine Spectator
2002 PETER LEHMANN The Mentor Barossa Valley $91
The 2002 Mentor spent 18 months in new French oak. It is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 10% Shiraz, and 8% Malbec sourced from several of the prime terroirs in the Barossa. Purple/black in color, it has a fragrant bouquet of toasty oak, scorched earth, pencil lead, violets, black currants, and blackberry. Medium-bodied, elegant yet full-flavored, it has a supple texture, a soft blanket of tannins, ample ripe fruit, and several years of additional aging potential. Drink this tasty effort over the next 8-10 years. Rated 91 points by Jay Miller with Robert Parker
2001 HENSCHKE Shiraz Hill of Grace Eden Valley, South Australia $400
The 2001 Shiraz Hill of Grace (100% Shiraz aged 18 months in 100% new French and American oak) is rather a surprisingly elegant, full-flavored Shiraz offering notes of mocha, white chocolate, pepper, blackberry liqueur, and cassis. Fleshy and earthy, with outstanding purity, richness, and overall symmetry, it is a complex, more evolved example of this cuvee. It should age nicely for another 12-15 years. Rated 92 points by Robert Parker
2004 JIM BARRY Shiraz The Armagh Clare Valley, Australia $158
One of the most colossal wines in all of my tastings was Jim Barry’s 2004 Shiraz The Armagh, a 100% Shiraz aged 16 months in French and American oak. It is an opaque purple-hued, super-intense effort displaying great precision and richness. Notes of melted asphalt, acacia flowers, blueberries, blackberries, charcoal, and espresso roast emerge from this full, dense, opulent Shiraz. The finish lasts for over 45 seconds. This is a great example of one of the icons of Australian Shiraz. Anticipated maturity: now-2025. Bright and jazzy, with a red pepper edge to the cherry, green olive and spice flavors. The harmonious flavors linger against very fine tannins and lively acidity on the long finish. Drink now through 2014. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 75 cases imported.
Rated 98 points by Robert Parker; 92 points by Wine Spectator
2003 PENFOLDS Shiraz Grange South Australia $325
Not quite as broad and generous as riper vintages, but tremendously classy, offering smoky, earthy blackberry, plum and currant fruit that compete effectively against cedary oak on the long finish. The flavors gain with each sip, fanning out impressively. It should age beautifully. Best after 2009. 8,000 cases made. Rated 94 points by Wine Spectator
2003 ELDERTON Shiraz Command Barossa, Australia $135
While the deep plum/ruby/garnet-tinged 2003 Shiraz Command is slightly less nuanced than the 2002, it is just as powerful and full-bodied, offering copious quantities of fruit, glycerin, tannin, and muscle. This chewy, rich offering appears to be on a faster evolutionary track than its 2002 counterpart. Give it another 2-3 years of bottle age, and consume it over the following 12-15.
Rated 94 points by Robert Parker
1997 DALLE VALLE Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley $400
"Tremendous flavor, dark, ripe, rich and packed with black cherry, currant, anise, cedar and spice. Finishes with firm but deliciously well-integrated tannins. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc) boasts an opaque purple color as well as a gorgeous nose of mineral-infused black currants, and spicy oak. Full-bodied, structured, muscular, and multi-dimensional, it is approachable, but best cellared for 2-4 years, and drunk over the following 20-25 years."
96 points Wine Spectator: 93 points Robert Parker
2004 PETER MICHAEL Les Pavots Knights Valley $280
The 2004 Les Pavots is ripe and is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine exhibits notes of forest floor intermixed with chocolate, blueberry, blackberry, espresso, and spice. There were only 2,000 cases produced of the 2004, which needs 2-3 years of bottle age and should drink well for 15+ years. This 121-acre estate with 114 producing acres of vineyard all located in Knight’s Valley continues to be at the top of their game and I can’t recommend the wines highly enough. Shows complex aromas of dried currant, sage, anise and cedary oak. Very dense, balanced and concentrated on the palate, with a tight focus on the loamy currant flavors. Ends with firm, chewy tannins, but the fruit pushes through. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2009 through 2019. 1,900 cases made.
Rated 92-94 points by Robert Parker; 94 points Wine Spectator
2005 PETER MICHAEL Les Pavots Knights Valley $290
The 2005 Les Pavots (3,600 cases of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot) is a sensational wine, with a style that suggests a hypothetical blend of a great St.-Emilion and Pomerol. Chocolatey cassis notes intermixed with incense, licorice, and a hint of black olive are present in this wine. When it hits the palate, it comes across as very Pomerol-like, with lushness, full body, and opulence. It’s a terrific example of non-interventionalist winemaking that has turned out a beautiful, silky-textured wine that should age effortlessly for 15+ years. Shows gorgeous Cabernet purity, with a profound offering of ripe, fleshy currant, black cherry, blackberry, anise and mineral. Amazingly supple and harmonious, with tannins that are both gentle and tender and then just firm enough to let you know they're there. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Drink now through 2017.
Rated 95 points by Robert Parker; 97 points by Wine Spectator
2005 QUILCEDA CREEK Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills, WA $250
The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon contains 3% Merlot. The principal component comes from the Champoux Vineyard (in which the winery is a partner) with contributions from the Klipsun and Taptiel Vineyards, outstanding in their own right. It, too, was aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque purple-colored, it has a splendid perfume of violets, wood smoke, truffle, Asian spices, black cherry, and black currant preserves. Opulent and mouth-coating, the layers of complex flavors nearly hide enough tannin to support 8-10 years of additional cellaring. The oak, tannin, and acidity are beautifully integrated and the lengthy finish lasts for well over a minute. This towering effort will not reach its peak until 2015 at the earliest and provide pleasure through 2040. Quilceda Creek Vintners remains a model of consistency. In the outstanding 2005 vintage, Quilceda Creek’s Cabernet Sauvignon remains the benchmark for what can be achieved in Washington and the United States. Some good news from the winery is that beginning with the 2006 vintage, there will be a new vineyard designate, a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Palengat Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. The vines are only 7 years old but the potential is enormous as a taste from barrel attests. Rated 100 points by Jay Miller with Robert Parker
2004 QUILCEDA CREEK Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills, WA $250
The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon contains 3% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc with the wine sourced from the Champoux, Klipsun, and Taptiel Vineyards. It was aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak. There are 3400 cases produced, most of it sold through the winery’s mailing list and the rest in a handful of markets. Opaque purple-colored, it delivers a remarkable array of aromas including pain grille, violets, pencil lead, truffle, Asian spices, black currant, and blueberry. This leads to a lustrous, layered, velvet-textured wine with gobs of spicy, ripe black fruits and beautifully integrated oak, tannin, and acidity. The long, pure finish goes on for well over a minute. It will evolve for a decade and drink well through 2045. Rated 99 points by Jay Miller with Robert Parker
2003 SHAFER VINEYARDS Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select
Stags Leap District Napa Valley $300
One of the world’s, as well as Napa’s, most profound Cabernet Sauvignons is the 2,000 or so case production of Shafer’s Hillside Select. Made from their finest parcels in Stags Leap, the wine spends nearly 32 months in 100% new oak. This is a wine that usually has 20-30 years of aging potential. 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select (just released) shows some graphite and pain grille notes intermixed with creme de cassis, licorice, camphor, and some spice box. Full-bodied, powerful, with fabulous fruit, silky tannins, and an intense mouthfeel, this is a gorgeous wine to drink over the next 20-25 years. All of this is the work of the brilliant father and son team of John and Doug Shafer
as well as their long-term winemaker and vineyard manager, Elias Fernandez. This is a winery that never seems to disappoint. Rated 95 points by Robert Parker
2004 SHAFER VINEYARDS Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select
Stags Leap District Napa Valley $325
The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select performed even better this year than it did in 2007. It possesses an inky/ruby/purple color, a juicy perfume of black currants, black cherries, graphite, charcoal, and toasty oak, superb opulence, a fleshy mid-palate, a multilayered mouthfeel, and a dazzling finish. This flamboyant, sexy Hillside Select can be enjoyed now and over the next 20 years. Celebrating 30 years of consistent quality and both critical and commercial success, this family run winery remains one of the most admirable operations in California. One of the world’s most prodigious Cabernet Sauvignons is Shafer’s 2,000-case cuvee called Hillside Select. Always 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new French oak for a whopping 32 months, it boasts a gorgeous track record dating back to the early nineties, and just about every recent vintage has flirted with perfection.
Rated 97 points by Robert Parker
2004 SHAFER VINEYARDS Relentless Napa Valley$140
The brainchild of winemaker/viticulturist Elias Fernandez, the Relentless (a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Petite Sirah aged 32 months in 100% new French oak) has been a fabulous success since its debut vintage. The first vintage to be made from 76% Syrah and 24% Petite Sirah, the 2004 Relentless is dense, rich, and powerful, with superb ripeness. Aromas and flavors of blueberries, blackberries, camphor, licorice, and smoke dominate this plush, flamboyant, voluptuous wine. It should be approachable when released, and will last for a decade or more. Shafer Vineyards, one of the most impeccably run wineries in the world, is a wonderful family operation that deserves all the success they have earned. Relentless exhibits aromas of blackberry pie intermixed with roasted meats and ground pepper. An expressive, full-bodied, smoky, flamboyant, intense effort. It is a stunningly aromatic, rich wine to drink over the next 10-15 years. Rated 95 points by Robert Parker
2006 ALBAN VINEYARDS Viognier Edna Valley $85
The 2006 Viognier exhibits notes of orange marmalade interwoven with honeysuckle and tropical fruit. Fresh, medium to full-bodied, powerful, pure, and rich, it is one of the top Viogniers made in California. Drink it over the next several years. Fragrant, intense and vivid, with herb, citrus, lychee and pineapple flavors. Has a bitter-almond edge and a coarse finish. Drink now through 2010. Only 700 cases made. Rated 91-93 points by Robert Parker
2005 BREWER-CLIFTON Chardonnay Sweeney Canyon Santa Rita Hills $120
Fragrant and complex, with floral aromas of lemon, pebble, citrus and green apple that are delivered on a beam. Tightly wound and sharply focused, this is long and persistent on the finish, with excellent acidity. Batard-Montrachet look-alike. This full-bodied, powerful white boasts an amazing liqueur of minerals intermixed with bees’ wax, honeysuckle, marmalade, and lemon butter. With an attractive citrus/orange rind character, and a full-bodied, layered, super-duper mouthfeel as well as richness, it is a stunning Chardonnay to consume over the next 6-10 years.713 cases made. Rated 92 points by Wine Spectator Rated 94 Points Robert Parker
2006 MOLLYDOOKER Shiraz Carnival of Love
McLaren Vale, South Australia $175
A stunning wine of immense depth and integrity. Seamless from start to finish, this starts off strong and keeps building through the long, powerful finish. The flavors center on blueberry, plum, meaty cherry, cedar and cream, with a hint of mint, and the tannins are so finely polished they gleam. The sensational nose, consisting of violets, lilacs, meat, game, leather, blueberry, and chocolate, leaps from the glass. On the palate this full-bodied wine somehow manages to combine power with elegance. The sweet tannins are well-concealed and the finish lasts for at least one minute. It will provide pleasure for 25 years but who will be that patient? Drink now through 2020. 4,738 cases made.. Rated 95 points by Wine Spectator; Ranked 8th in top 100 wines of 2007
Rated 97 Points Robert Parker
2007 MOLLYDOOKER Shiraz Carnival of Love
McLaren Vale, South Australia $175
An exhuberant and powerful shiraz with powerful aromas and layers of rich, voluptuous fruit.
Ranked 9th in Wine Spectator top 100 wines of 2008
2006 MOLLYDOOKER Shiraz-Cabernet Enchanted Path
McLaren Vale, South Australia $150
Supple in texture and deftly balanced despite its size, this is a big wine that dances smoothly on the palate, while showing off its rich cherry, blueberry and sweet spice flavors. The 2006 Shiraz (66%) – Cabernet Sauvignon (34%) “Enchanted Path” was made entirely from McLaren Vale fruit. Opaque purple-colored, the wine has a fragrant bouquet of pain grille, leather, smoked meat, game, blueberry, and blackberry. This is followed by a structured wine with intense, spicy black fruit flavors, full-body, and superb balance. It is still tightly wound and will benefit from 6-8 years of cellaring. This promising effort should drink well through 2030. The parts melt together seamlessly as the finish rolls on and on. 3,279 cases made. Rated 95 points by Wine Spectator
Rated 94 Points Robert Parker
2007 MOLLYDOOKER Shiraz-Cabernet Enchanted Path
McLaren Vale, South Australia $150
A powerful and opulent blend of shiraz and cabernet sauvignon with amazing structure and length. Sarah and Sparky Marquis are on a roll with these amazing wines.
Not yet Rated
2005 SINE QUA NON Grenache Atlantis California $275
Complex aromas of dried blueberry, mineral, sage and espresso. a blend of 93% Grenache and 7% Syrah. About 50% of this cuvee was produced from whole clusters, and nearly all of it came from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard. Approximately 40% new oak was utilized, and the wine is scheduled to be bottled after two years in wood. The aromas reveal a distinctive chocolatey note along with the tell-tale blackberry, cassis, kirsch, licorice, camphor, and floral characteristics. Deep, complex, and full-bodied with a roasted meat-like flavor, despite its size and richness, the overall impression is one of elegance and phenomenal definition. It should drink well for 10-15+ years.
Finishes with taut tannins and lovely floral and spicy nuances that give it a sense of authenticity.
Drink now through 2012. 990 cases made. Rated 90 points by Wine Spectator
Rated 98 Points Robert Parker
2006 BREWER-CLIFTON Rio Vista Vineyards Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills $100
Owned by the Thorne family and managed by Buona Terra Farming, this vineyard is on the far eastern edge of the appellation. This bottling is a combination of clones 777, 667 and 2A planted on a gentle west facing slope in sandy, clay-loam soils. Aromas of lavender, dried wild strawberry and nutmeg followed by flavors of earth, dark plum and hard spice. Pliant mouthfeel with persistent silky, drying tannin. Sweet red currants, cinnamon sticks, plum, Christmas cake, and allspice jump from the medium ruby/garnet colored 2006 Pinot Noir Rio Vista. This wine has tart acidity, plenty of body, and again, seems to offer intriguing spice box aromatics and medium to full-bodied flavors. All of the 2006 Pinots from Brewer-Clifton tend to emphasize the more spicy clove, allspice, underbrush, and root vegetable characteristics of Pinot Noir more than pure raspberry, black cherry, or black currant fruit. Only 9,504 bottles produced.
Rated 90 Points Robert Parker
2004 CHATEAU ST JEAN Cinq Cepages Proprietary Red Blend Sonoma $80
The 2004 Cinq Cepages displays an elegant, Bordeaux-like style offering aromas of cedar, tobacco leaf, black currants, cherries, and spice box. Medium to full-bodied with soft, silky tannins, and a moderately long finish, it should drink well for 7-8 years.
Rated 90 Points Robert Parker
2005 JUSTIN VINEYARDS & WINERY Savant Proprietary
Red Paso Robles, CA $92
Inky black in color and aromatically layered from the combination of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, The glass is immediately filled with a multitude of aromas including black fruit, Bing cherry, cassis and soft oak notes from the barrel fermentation. The beginning is elegant and segues into a mid palate with the combination of blackberry and mushrooms and a hint of black pepper. The finish is layered with lush, ripe tannins and is complemented by approachable, seamless hints of oak.
57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44% Syrah. 18 months in American and French Oak Barrels.
Easily drinkable now through 2016.
Rated 90 Points by Monzell and Jennings
2005 PENFOLDS Shiraz RWT Barossa Valley, Australia $160
Rich, ripe and focused, with a lovely purity to the blackberry, dark plum and sweet spice flavors, playing against bittersweet chocolate notes on the long, expressive finish.
Best from 2010 through 2020. 1,500 cases imported.
Rated 93 Points Wine Spectator
2005 SINE QUA NON Syrah Atlantis California $275
Beefy, spicy, peppery aromas join dried berry and dried currant flavors that are intense and well- proportioned is a blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Grenache, and 2% Viognier, with 25% whole clusters. This cuvee is a combination of 43% from the estate vineyard, 28% from the White Hawk Vineyard, 21% from the Alban Vineyard, and 8% from the Bien Nacido Vineyard. An extraordinarily flowery nose interwoven with scents of blueberries, blackberries, incense, and graphite soars from the glass. Although not the biggest or most concentrated Syrah Krankl has made, it is one of the most nuanced, elegant, and complex. It remains full-bodied, but builds incrementally on the palate, and comes across as elegant and delicate, especially when compared to many California Syrahs. Keeps tightly focused and turns elegant. Spicy espresso bean aftertaste. Nevertheless, the intensity is mind-boggling, and the finish lasts for nearly a minute.
Drink this amazing effort over the next 10-15+ years.
Rated 92 points by Wine Spectator
Rated 100 Points Robert Parker
2000 TENUTA CARLINABrunello di Montalcino Togata dei Togati
Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy $125
An elegant, plummy, earthy and lightly spiced Rosso, with medium to full body, lightly polished
tannins and a long, chocolaty-fruit finish. Best after 2002.
Rated 91 Points Wine Spectator
2005 CADE Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Cuvée Napa Valley $120
The cade “Napa Cuvée is a mouthful of wine! 75% Cabernet and 25% Merlot. Picked from the alluvial Napa Valley that lends the dense flavors of blackverry, cherry, chocolate and blueberry with the Cabernet from the hillsides of Howell Mountain give the wine structure, depth and ageability. The Merlot component fleshes out the mid-palate and adds flavors of Bing cherry and plum.
From the Owners of The famed Plumpjack Wines!
Rated 88 Points Wine Spectator
2004 PAHLMEYER Jayson Red, Napa Valley $116
Firm, ripe and complex, with vivid red currant and black cherry fruit that's well-defined, structured and supported by firm, integrated tannins. Ends with a nice flash of toasty oak and mineral notes. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2012.
Rated 92 Points by Wine Spectator
2004 ORIN SWIFT Cabernet Sauvignon Mercury Head Napa Valley $140
Floral, dusty berry, black currant and sage aromas are tight and firm on the palate, with structured tannins. Rich and concentrated, the flavors run deep, yet this is closed now and needs time.
Best from 2009 through 2014. 400 cases made.
Rated 91 Points Wine Spectator
2004 SINE QUA NON Pinot Noir Covert Fingers Santa Rita Hills $250
The knockout, deep ruby/purple/plum 2004 Covert Fingers Pinot Noir exhibits a slightly restrained nose revealing sweet cranberry and cassis aromas interwoven with hints of flowers, charcoal, and oak, a savory, broad texture, and an opulent, voluptuous finish. This beauty should drink well for a decade or more.
Rated 95 Points Robert Parker
2005 BOGLE Phantom California $37
The time is here to start looking over your shoulder…
Three unique varietals combine lush berry and fierce spice into a wine characterized by its incandescence. Brighter fruit and brighter spice highlight this vintage of the deep ruby apparition. Aromas of plums and cherries are embraced by touches of black pepper. From the deep dark depths, subtle notes of anise, juniper and vanilla emerge and compliment the concentrated fruit characters of this wine. Captured in 1, 2 and 3 year old American oak barrels, this wine showcases the best these distinct varietals have to offer.
Though this wine is remarkable now, age in the bottle will only integrate the three unique varietals more. Welcome the winery ghost into your home again with this latest vintage, and enjoy with full-flavored and hearty meals…before it vanishes again.
2005 THE PRISONOR Red Blend Napa Valley$65
A delicious wine that offers the best of both worlds: zesty wild berry, spice and fresh tobacco, with focused, well-structured blackberry flavors. Plush, rich and concentrated, with a wonderful focus on the core fruit flavors. Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Charbono. Drink now through 2011.
Rated 93 Points Wine Spectator
2005 COPAIN Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch, St. Helena $75
The 2005 Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch exhibits deep blueberry and blackberry fruit along with floral and crushed rock-like characteristics in the background. This medium to full-bodied, slightly tannic Syrah should age nicely for a decade or more.
Rated 91-93 points by Robert Parker
2005 ALBAN VINEYARDS Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard Edna Valley $150
The intense, inky/ruby/purple-tinged 2005 Syrah Reva Vineyard boasts gorgeous notes of graphite, smoke, roasted meat, herbs, and oodles of blackberries and creme de cassis. This full-bodied, fabulously rich Syrah is a superb success for the vintage. The good news is, there are 2,500 six-packs. This wine exhibits a Cote-Rotie-like perfume of black raspberries, flowers, licorice, herbs, and sweet black fruits. Opulent, full-bodied, rich, impressively seductive, lush, and forward, it should drink well young yet age nicely for 12-15+ years. Rated 96 points by Robert Parker; 94 points by Wine Enthusiast
2003 BOND Vecina Proprietary Red Wine Napa Valley $500
The 2003 Vecina, which comes from a site near Harlan Estate, is a firm, tannic, backward wine displaying a gravelly, scorched earth, hot rock, black currant, licorice, and herb-scented bouquet. In the mouth, it is tight, rich, and ruggedly constructed with medium to full body as well as a boatload of tannin. Give it 4-5 years of cellaring, and consume it over the following 15.
Rated 93 points by Robert Parker
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