2008 Rhys Syrah Skyline Vineyard

The 2008 Syrah Skyline Vineyard, which I tasted from barrel last year, has turned out well. This dark ruby-colored, tightly knit, delicately styled Syrah possesses pure black cherry and black currant fruit intermixed with hints of underbrush and tapenade, sweet tannin, and an impressive attack and mid-palate. The tannins will need to be watched, but everything appears to be in balance. The wine was made from 100% stems and aged in 25% new French oak. This relatively new estate in the Santa Cruz Mountains has five vineyards planted at various elevations ranging from a low of 400 feet to 2,200 feet. There are different terroirs and different vineyard spacing (from 6 x 6 to 2 x 3) as well as different soils (alluvial clay/loam for the Family Farm, to fractured shale for the Bearwallow, sandstone and mudstone for the Skyline, shale and volcanic ash for the Horseshoe Ranch, and sandstone and shale for the Alpine Vineyard). The wines are all handcrafted in the truest sense of the word. Of the six 2009 Pinot Noirs, I thought the Family Farm, Horseshoe Ranch and Alpine were the finest. I have some reservations about the tannin levels and potential for drying out in the Swan Terrace and Skyline, but they deserve the benefit of the doubt because there are a lot of good things going on. Tel. (866) 511-1520