Zepaltas Syrah, Santa Lucia Highlands, USA

澤帕爾塔斯希拉干紅葡萄酒

點擊次數(shù)：3235

The 2009 Syrah Rosella’s is considerably more polished than the 2009. It reveals layers of silky red fruit, finessed tannins and beautifully delineated aromatics. The growing season in 2009 was cooler than in 2008, even though that hardly seems the case tasting these two wines side by side. A warm, radiant finish rounds things out in style. The 2009 was made with 50% whole clusters. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019.Ryan Zepaltas is the assistant winemaker at Siduri and Novy. These wines from his own label are quite striking. I will report on the rest of the wines in the Zepaltas lineup in the Sonoma issue, currently scheduled for February 2012.www.zepaltaswines.com

The 2008 Syrah Rosella’s is a big, full-bodied wine. Dark red fruit, flowers, licorice and spices emerge from this sturdy, rustic Syrah. The wine turns more elegant in the glass, but really needs quite a bit of time for elements of reduction to blow off. Hints of white pepper and flowers add complexity on the big finish. The 2008 showed marked improvement with time in the glass. It is a wine with a strong and distinct personality. The 2008 was vinified with 70% whole clusters, which seems to come through quite markedly. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. Ryan Zepaltas is the assistant winemaker at Siduri and Novy. These wines from his own label are quite striking. I will report on the rest of the wines in the Zepaltas lineup in the Sonoma issue, currently scheduled for February 2012.www.zepaltaswines.com

An interesting, even eccentric Syrah that’s really quite different from anything else out there. No mere fruit bomb, it’s a meaty wine, in the sense of being chewy, but also in the aromas and flavors of both roasted and raw beef. That’s not to mention the extraordinary blackberries and currants, dusted with a blast of freshly ground black pepper. First-class and unique.——S.H.(5/1/2009)—— 94