2009 Big Basin Homestead

(46% grenache, 43% syrah and 11% cabernet sauvignon): Bright violet color. Black raspberry, cherry and a touch of mint on the fragrant nose. Juicy and taut on entry, then fleshier in the mid-palate, offering fresh red and dark berry flavors and a hint of palate-numbing cracked pepper. Finishes bright and spicy, with very good clarity and smoky persistence.

The 2009 Homestead is 46% Grenache, 43% Syrah and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, mostly sourced from estate vineyards. This attractive red wine fleshes out nicely in the glass, with compelling dark fruit, sweet spices and flowers. Floral notes reappear on the finish adding brightness and lift. The Homestead is an attractive, fruit-forward offering best enjoyed over the next few years.

The 2009 Homestead is 46% Grenache, 43% Syrah and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, mostly sourced from estate vineyards. This attractive red wine fleshes out nicely in the glass, with compelling dark fruit, sweet spices and flowers. Floral notes reappear on the finish adding brightness and lift. The Homestead is an attractive, fruit-forward offering best enjoyed over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016. Bradley Brown crafts gorgeous artisan wines from his vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey County. The wines are fermented with ambient yeasts, see no racking and are bottled unfined and unfiltered. The Pinots are aged in 50% new medium toast barrels, while some of the Syrah and Syrah-based blends see higher amounts of new wood. Brown is gradually moving towards reducing toast levels and amounts of new oak. The 2008s are big, rich wines marked by the low yields of the year that are the result of the spring frost. Vintage 2009 was a flashier, more overt year until a heavy rainstorm hit on October 13. The 2009s generally are lower in alcohol than the 2008s. As good as these wines are – and they are often outstanding – my feeling is that Brown has just scratched the surface of his potential. Tel. (831) 621-8028; www.bigbasinvineyards.com