2007 Foxen Syrah Toasted Rope

The 2007 Syrah Toasted Rope is a Marcel Guigal-like blend of 86% Syrah and 14% Viognier. (Guigal’s famous single-vineyard La Mouline Cote Rotie is a blend of 89% Syrah and 11% Viognier, give or take a few percentage points one way or the other depending on the vintage.) Dedicated to Andrew Murray, as the source of the Syrah and Viognier was planted by him in the early 1990s, the wine has a dark ruby/purple color and an exotic nose of lychee, apricot, and spring flowers, with the Syrah component offering up black cherry, blackberry, and spice. Almost off-the-charts complexity in the perfume is followed by a silky-textured, voluptuously built wine with loads of fruit, velvety tannins, and undeniable appeal. The Viognier clearly adds an element of complexity and suppleness that makes the wine individualistic. I suspect it will be a love-it-or-leave-it wine for many consumers, but this is intriguing stuff, and challenging both hedonistically and intellectually. It should drink well for 4-6 years. Foxen’s lighter-styled, more evolved 2008s are delicious, charming efforts without the density of the brilliant 2007s. However, do not underestimate them. Tel. (805) 937-4251