2021 Guthrie Electric Syrah Mendocino County

2021 Guthrie Electric Syrah Mendocino County

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtMendocinoSyrahUSA

Guthrie

Electric Syrah
Mendocino County 2021

2021 Guthrie Electric Syrah Mendocino County

Guthrie’s 2021 Mendocino County ‘Electric’ Syrah radiates with energy from the dramatic, volcanic slopes of Eagle Point Vineyard. Set high amid Mendocino’s rugged terrain, this site’s red soils instill a distinctive intensity into the grapes, translating directly into a wine that pulses with mineral character and savory depth. 

The visionary behind this electric expression is Blair Guthrie, a winemaker whose journey has traversed both hemispheres. Born in New Zealand, Blair absorbed lessons from some of the world’s most revered wine regions before settling into California’s embrace. At Guthrie Wines, he champions an ethos rooted in sustainable farming and minimal intervention, allowing the vineyards to express themselves with authenticity. 

Blair’s meticulous craftsmanship finds its ultimate expression in this pure, organically farmed Syrah, vinified with care and respect through whole-cluster fermentation. Ten months in French oak impart a subtle polish without overshadowing the wine’s vibrant character. The resulting Syrah balances beautifully on the palate: texturally rich, elegantly structured, and irresistibly nuanced.

Guthrie
Electric Syrah
Mendocino County 2021

Your Price: $28

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“The Guthrie Family 2021 Mendocino County Syrah gives a captivating expression of cool-climate Syrah with vibrancy and elegance, presenting blooming notes of lavender, violets, fresh roses, dried herbs, juicy blackberries, boysenberries, and a touch of white pepper. On the palate, the wine is balanced with a bright acidity enhancing the wine’s stony minerality, complemented by black tea leaves, sweet tobacco, and black fruits that unfold gradually with fresh energy and complexity.”

96 Points

2022 Sequum Kidd Ranch Syrah Napa Valley

2022 Sequum Kidd Ranch Syrah Napa Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Kevin VogtNapaSaint HelenaSyrahUSA

Sequum

Kidd Ranch Syrah
Napa Valley 2022

2022 Sequum Kidd Ranch Syrah Napa Valley

Sequum’s Kidd Ranch Syrah beautifully captures the essence of its Napa Valley origins. Crafted in small batches at their Saint Helena estate, this wine reflects the meticulous care and dedication of Paul Skinner. A respected viticulturist and soil scientist, Skinner’s intimate understanding of the land informs every vintage, creating a wine that speaks of its unique terroir.

The Kidd Ranch Vineyard is Skinner’s expression of Napa’s rich viticultural heritage. His daily presence in the vineyard is a constant dialogue with the vines, each row nurtured with meticulous attention. By carefully selecting different Syrah clones, each matched to specific rootstocks and soil types, Skinner pays homage to the traditions of the Northern Rhône.

The 2022 vintage displays both poise and elegance. Sequum’s dedication to sustainable practices and minimal intervention winemaking results in a wine that authentically expresses the interplay of nature and skilled craftsmanship. This Syrah presents exceptional value, offering a quality comparable to much higher-priced wines, making it an excellent choice for those who appreciate fine wine without unnecessary formality.

Sequum
Kidd Ranch Syrah
Napa Valley 2022

Your Price: $60.00

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“The 2022 Sequum Kidd Ranch Syrah is a compelling expression of Napa Valley fruit. The nose opens with a dynamic interplay of kirsch and boysenberry syrup, grounded by a distinct minerality reminiscent of iron dust and delicate violets. On the palate, this wine showcases a concentrated complexity. Wild mountain blackberries are interwoven with bright red currants and juicy, ripe blueberries. The fruit profile is penetrating and complex, accented by subtle baking spices. A beautiful balance of richness and freshness defines the wine, with vibrant, mouth-quenching fruit supported by soft, supple tannins. The finish is long, elegant, and ultimately satisfying. This is, without a doubt, the finest Sequum Syrah to date.”

96 Points

2018 Top Source Red Blend Columbia Valley

2018 Top Source Red Blend Columbia Valley

with No Comment $30 and underColumbia ValleyGrenacheKevin VogtProprietary RedSyrahUSAWashington State

TOP SOURCE

RED BLEND 2018
COLUMBIA VALLEY

2018 Top Source Red Blend Columbia Valley
Meredith Hyslop is a Walla Walla native who graduated from the Walla Walla Wine Institute in 2007 before moving to Dijon, France, to complete a Master’s program in International Wine business. After her studies, Meredith moved to the Languedoc-Roussillon in Southern France, where she spent 12 years working in the wine industry and found many significant similarities to the climate of her home in Eastern Washington.
 
Realizing that Syrah and Grenache thrive in Columbia Valley’s volcanic soils and high diurnal range, Meredith founded Top Source to showcase Rhône-style blends from the AVA’s idyllic conditions and terroir. 
 
Meredith hand-selected three organically farmed sites for her 2018 Red Wine, blended at bottled at her partner’s winery, Cayuse Vineyards, one of Washington State’s most iconic producers. The Blend combines 70% Syrah with 30% Grenache, aged in neutral oak, highlighting the region’s fruit and world-class growing conditions.
 
TOP SOURCE
RED BLEND 2018
COLUMBIA VALLEY
Retails at: $30
 
 
 
“The 2018 Red Wine Columbia Valley combines Syrah (70%) with Grenache (30%). The palate is wonderfully stony with bright red fruits that mingle with orange rind, umami and pretty pomegranate seed flavors. The salty accents really make this sing.”
93 Points
2021 Apsara Syrah Sonoma Mountain

2021 Apsara Syrah Sonoma Mountain

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtSonomaSonoma MountainSyrahUSA

APSARA

SYRAH 2021
SONOMA MOUNTAIN

2021 Apsara Syrah Sonoma Mountain
Robin and Aneeta Akhurst founded Apsara Cellars over a shared passion for the environment, studying biology and environmental science. They met in Indonesia over 20 years ago and began honing in on preserving nature with organic, biodynamic, and sustainable practices. The word “apsara” originates from the Sanskrit language and translates to an angelic dancer with balance, purity, and expression, and constitutes the philosophy behind Apsara’s wines.
 
After graduating from the University of Edinburgh, Robin rode his motorbike down to Provence, France, pursued a degree in Enology, and spent the next four years working with legendary winemakers worldwide, including Anne Claude Leflaive in Burgundy, Matt Wenk in the Barossa Valley, and Thomas Rivers Brown in the Napa Valley. The 2021 Sonoma Mountain Syrah is 100% Syrah, aged eight months in 30% New French oak and 70% once-used French oak, retaining varietal purity and vibrant aromatics while continuing a brand trademark with an Old World style.
 
APSARA
SYRAH 2021
SONOMA MOUNTAIN
Retails at: $80
 
 
 
“The Apasara Sonoma Mountain Syrah 2021 begins with a powerful nose of ripe black plums, crushed boysenberries, cold smoked meat, violets, and baking spices. The palate continues with sweet, intense, concentrated red and black stone fruits and supple chocolate, framed on a sultry, seductive body that is rich and opulent with supple tannins and a long, silky finish.”
95 Points
2019 Booker Fracture Syrah Paso Robles

2019 Booker Fracture Syrah Paso Robles

with No Comment $90-$100Central CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesSyrahUSA

BOOKER

FRACTURE SYRAH
PASO ROBLES 2019

2019 Booker Fracture Syrah Paso Robles
In 2001, Eric and Lisa Jensen purchased 100 acres in Paso Robles and founded the Booker Vineyard with a keen focus on farming high-quality grapes for nearby wineries. Eric started making wine on the side with his friend Justin Smith of Saxum and his neighbor Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure for a few years before he and Lisa decided it was time to release their own expression of the Booker Vineyard.
 
The certified organic vineyard has a high concentration of limestone that causes fractures in the soils, leading to the name of their flagship wine. The Fracture is 100% Syrah and a selection of the softest wines aged in small French barriques, and the 2019 vintage shows gorgeous aromatics and deep flavors with a delightfully long finish.
 
BOOKER
FRACTURE SYRAH
PASO ROBLES 2019
 
 
 
“The 100% Syrah 2019 Fracture comes all from the Booker Estate Vineyard and is another pure, balanced, incredibly classy wine from this estate. Loads of darker fruits, ground black pepper, crushed stone, and scorched earth give way to a medium to full-bodied, powerful, concentrated Syrah that will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and cruise for 10-15 years.”
97 Points
2019 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah Hawkes Bay NZ

2019 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah Hawkes Bay NZ

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNew ZealandSyrah

TRINITY HILL

GIMBLETT GRAVELS SYRAH
HAWKES BAY NZ 2019

2019 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah Hawkes Bay NZ
The Gimblett Gravels District lies within the winegrowing region of Hawke’s Bay and boasts poor, stony, gravelly soils ideal for New Zealand-grown Syrah. In 1993, Trinity Hill recognized the immense prospects for viticultural excellence in this small subregion formed by the ancient Ngaruroro River, becoming among the first to cultivate Syrah in Gimblett Gravels.
 
Trinity Hills takes pride in being a certified member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, emphasizing biodiversity and reducing its environmental impact. Notably, New Zealand has the highest number of certified organic wineries globally. The 2019 Gimblett Gravels Syrah is an impressive blend of the three estate vineyards: Gimblett Estate, Tin Shed, and Gimblett Stones. The unique terroir is evident in this bright, spicy wine, offering a quintessential taste of the region.
 
TRINITY HILL
GIMBLETT GRAVELS SYRAH
HAWKES BAY NZ 2019
 
 
 
“Wow. The white-pepper and black-fruit combination here is impressively fresh and vibrant. Really bursting from the glass. The palate has such fine-cut tannins that form a crisp outer shell around very juicy red and dark berries. Cascading, grainy finish. Superb. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”
96 Points
2019 Sequum Syrah Kidd Ranch Napa Valley

2019 Sequum Syrah Kidd Ranch Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaSyrahUSA

SEQUUM

KIDD RANCH SYRAH
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Sequum Syrah Kidd Ranch Napa Valley
Sequum is a scientific term describing the sequence of layers in soil and the perfect name for Paul Skinner’s label, combining his Ph.D. background in viticulture and soil science with years of experience in the vineyard and his passion for wine. After decades of consulting super-premium grape growing, Paul launched his brand in 2003, which is now blended and bottled at Pride Mountain Vineyards with the help of Paul’s loyal winemaking and cellar staff.
 
Paul walks his Kidd Ranch Vineyard each morning and evening in the traditional turn of the 19th-century style assessing each vine’s overall health, nutrient levels, water status, crop load, and rate of ripening. Different Syrah clones are matched with rootstocks and soil types and trained in one of the oldest methods still used in the Northern Rhône, producing deep color and pronounced varietal characteristics that are distinctively apparent in the 2019 release.
 
SEQUUM
KIDD RANCH SYRAH
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $54
 
 
 
“A tiny production wine from an estate site, this offers depths of black cherry, dried herb and chalky tannin. Structured and balanced, with an elegant approach, it remains crisp in acidity throughout.”
90 Points
2017 Sequum Syrah Kidd Ranch Napa Valley

2017 Sequum Syrah Kidd Ranch Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaSyrahUSA

SEQUUM

KIDD RANCH SYRAH
NAPA VALLEY 2017

2017 Sequum Syrah Kidd Ranch Napa Valley
After decades of consulting super-premium grape growing, Paul Skinner launched his Sequum label in 2003, which is now blended and bottled at Pride Mountain Vineyards. “Sequum” is a scientific term describing layers of soil, and it turned out to be the perfect name for Paul’s wines as he combined his Ph.D. background in viticulture and soil science with years of experience in the vineyard and his passion for wine.
 
Paul takes a hands-on approach to his Kidd Ranch vineyard, noting subtle changes in soil composition and planting vines onto corresponding rootstocks for optimum health and vitality. His 2017 Syrah is a prime example of his expertise, delivered in a pure, focused, and complex wine that speaks of its place of origin with varietal typicity.
 
SEQUUM
KIDD RANCH SYRAH
NAPA VALLEY 2017
Retails at: $54
 
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“Herbal, earthy and complex, this is a well-structured wine, rich and layered in blueberry and strawberry flavors. From a two-acre estate, it has length and breadth and is intensely flavorful, finishing in bolts of white and black pepper.”
92 Points
2018 Site Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley

2018 Site Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Central CoastKevin VogtSanta Maria ValleySyrahUSA

SITE

SYRAH 2018
BIEN NACIDO VINEYARD
SANTA MARIA VALLEY

2018 Site Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley
Jeremy Weintraub is the owner and winemaker for Site Wines and gained experience growing grapes in Paso Robles, Santa Maria, Central Otago, Martinborough, Tuscany, and Long Island. After his vineyard work, Jeremy began making wine at Seavey Vineyard in Napa and later vinifying wines for Adelaida Cellars in Paso Robles, whom he still works with today.
 
Site sources grapes from some of the most distinctive vineyards in California, and Bien Nacido is known for some of the state’s most sought-after cool-climate grapes. Esteemed Syrah producer Sine Qua Non is now entirely estate-grown, no longer sourcing fruit from Bien Nacido, and Site was next in line for their contract with Block B, the oldest, steepest, and most revered plot in the vineyard. The 2018 Syrah has a graceful elegance with earthy and spicy notes reminiscent of the wines of the Northern Rhône, providing an attestation to the exceptional terroir of the Bien Nacido Vineyard.
 
SITE
SYRAH 2018
BIEN NACIDO VINEYARD
SANTA MARIA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $55
 
 
“The 2018 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyards was mostly destemmed (90%) and spent 18 months in 50% new French oak. It’s another inky hued effort that brings both richness and elegance. Lots of darker, briny fruits, smoked game, and black pepper notes give way to a medium to full-bodied wine that has silky yet present tannins, terrific balance, and a great finish. It’s going to evolve for 15 years or more.”
96 Points
2017 Aspara Syrah Las Madres Vineyard

2017 Aspara Syrah Las Madres Vineyard

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosKevin VogtSonomaSyrahUSA

APSARA

SYRAH 2017
LAS MADRES VINEYARD

2017 Aspara Syrah Las Madres Vineyard
The word apsara originates from the Sanskrit language, symbolizing an angelic dancer with balance, purity, and expression, accurately describing each of Apsara Cellars’ exquisite wines. The winery’s founders, Robin and Aneeta Akhurst, met 20 years ago while studying biology and environmental science in Indonesia, broadening the scope of their interests in preserving nature with organic, biodynamic, and sustainable practices.
 
After Robin obtained his degree in Enology, he spent the next four years working with legendary winemakers worldwide, including Anne Claude Leflaive in Burgundy, Matt Wenk in the Barossa Valley, and Thomas Rivers Brown in the Napa Valley. The 2017 Apsara Syrah was grown in the meticulously farmed Las Madres Vineyard in Sonoma Carneros and is known for its cool climate Syrah with spice, depth, and style similar to the celebrated wines of the Northern Rhône. With only 100 cases produced, it won’t last long at this price.
 
APSARA
SYRAH 2017
LAS MADRES VINEYARD
Retails at: $80
 
 
 
“The 2017 Apsara Las Madres Vineyard Syrah begins with notes of violets, rose petals, garrigue, white pepper, blackberry, and chocolate mousse. The wine envelopes and coats the palate with silky tannins and flavors of black plum, bramble, chocolate chip cookies, and aniseed. This style of Syrah is seductive but not heavy and sweetly coaxes you into the perfect state of relaxation.”
94 Points