2014 Joseph Phelps Syrah Hyde & Sons Vineyard
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A big surprise for me was the incredible quality of the Syrah Phelps produced in 2014 and 2015 from the Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard. The 2014 Syrah Larry Hyde & Sons, which was co-fermented with 6% Viognier and aged 18 months in 30% new French puncheons and barrels, is a wonderful Côte Rôtie-like wine. Possibly the best Syrah the Phelps winery has ever produced (and they have been making wine longer than many), there are 1,600 cases of this sexy, endearing, dark purple wine, which has an incredibly intense bouquet of spring flowers, marmalade, honeysuckle, and blackcurrant and black raspberry fruit. This stunning wine, which is medium to full-bodied with silky tannins, would easily pass as a dead ringer for a Côte Rôtie in a blind tasting. Drink it over the next decade.
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Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2014 Syrah Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard has shut down a bit after its bottling this past May. There is good aromatic complexity and plenty of nuance, but readers will have to give the 2014 at least another year for the full breadth of the wine to come back into form. In this vintage, the Syrah stands out for its striking aromatics above all else. Black pepper, lavender, mint and sage are some of the notes that linger on the close. Although it is a bit reticent, the 2014 has turned out beautiful.
Black pepper, sage, rosemary, plums and cherries abound in the 2014 Syrah Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard. Floral and savory, with gorgeous aromatic precision and nuance, this mid-weight, super-expressive Syrah is shaping up to be a jewel. The 2014 is all about aromatics and nuance. Here, too, the 50% whole cluster are pretty much buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit.
About the producer
California winery Joseph Phelps is best known for its flagship Insignia cuvée, one of the first and finest proprietary red wines in the Napa Valley.