2003 Ojai Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2003 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard is shockingly intense and powerful, especially for a wine of its age. Drought conditions resulted in low yields and an unusually unctuous, deep Syrah. The aromatics show elements of development that one might expect to see in a 15 year-old wine, but there is more than enough fruit and overall palate density to support at least a few more years of fine drinking.
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Average Score
Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Deep ruby. Smoky red berries and cherry on the nose, with subtle floral and herb character building with air. Fleshy red berry preserve flavors possess depth as well as cut, finishing with suave mineral lift and a lingering licorice flavor. This is just beginning to show real complexity and promises a very good future.
The structured, tannic, backward, rich 2003 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard reveals hints of creme de cassis, blackberries, tapenade, and spice box. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 10-15+. Adam Tolmach kindly conducted a mini-vertical, going back to 1995, of his Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah, and it was good to see how well they all performed. My favorites included the 1996 (93 points), 1998 (91 points), 2000 (93 points), and 2002 (93 points). The only wine that did not show as well as I would have hoped was the 1997 (88 points), which was much lighter and on a faster evolutionary track. Tel. (805) 649-1674