One-hundred percent whole clusters were used in the outstanding 2008 Syrah Estate. Very concentrated with abundant tannin, this cuvee is not yet ready for prime time drinking. It exhibits sweet blackberry, cassis, and cherry notes intermixed with hints of camphor, tar, tapenade, and damp earth. Give it another year of bottle age, and consume it over the following decade. It is another northern Rhone-like wine that represents a California blend of Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage.Ehren Jordan’s yields in 2008 were one-half of normal, primarily due to the frost and poor flowering. Consequently, the level of concentration in some of his wines is slightly higher than normal. Jordan is a Francophile, and his impressive resume includes being one of the masterminds behind the Turley Zinfandels. He is all about natural winemaking, securing top terroirs, and putting into the bottle the essence of what the grape and the site have produced.Tel. (707) 942-4699; Fax (707) 942-5142

Shows the purity and transparency associated with this fine vineyard, as well as crisp coastal acidity and finely etched tannins. Doesn’t possess the depth or concentration of previous vintages, especially 2007, with somewhat curtailed blackberry fruit and a short finish. But then, it was a difficult vintage. Very classy wine to drink now. ——S.H.(12/31/2010)—— 90