2014 Riverain Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley- USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley (4/1/2018)
Now that’s a horse of a different color! Deep purple that is one shade from black, I expected something mouth coating, and also alcoholic. What I got was impeccably balanced, fruity, herbal and meaty. In other words I got textbook Syrah. It was quite irresistible, from my first sip as I was cooking in the afternoon, to my last sip after dinner.
Not had a Riverain Syrah before, David, but the BennettVlly is a very good/cold-climate area
for growing Syrah and it looks like this one fit that mold.
Tom
Opened a 2015 this weekend. Very well made bottle of wine. More modern in style. Rich. Perfumed. Great mouth feel with long finish. Kicking myself for not buying more during berserkerfest.
I drank a 2014 a few nights ago, as part of a dinner I put on for some work leaders. I brought the wine and it was emptied quickly by the red wine drinkers we had at the table. it showed dark, flush with fruit, for sure not a fragile style of syrah, but we know that about Steve’s syrahs and how Thomas is making them. Not was boozy nor out of proportion with all the parts that made up the wine in the glass–just inky and intense. David’s note is good assessment, and I would simply underscore his remarks with my additional comments here.