Volume 34, Issue 5: March 2010
SYRAH SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Syrah is reported to have slowed down in the marketplace, but the high quality of the wines in this Issue suggest that you should not ignore it whether your preference is for the ripe, bold style that predominates or the more refined style that is becoming more and more a part of the California winemaking approach to the grape. MERLOT SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Still popular despite attacks by journalists and movies, Merlot continues to make outstanding wine and to sell with reasonable vigor in the market. VIOGNIER SUBSCRIBERS ONLY A challenging grape to say the least, Viognier has proven itself capable of making lusciously fruity, well-balanced wines here in California. The Aging of California Syrah SUBSCRIBERS ONLY We tasted a group of 2001 Syrahs to see how they were maturing as they enter their adolescent years. Some of the cold-area Syrah look to have very long lives, and even some of those from warmer climes have yet to reach their peaks. Best Buys SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Look here for wines that will thrill your palate and make your wallet happy as well.				SUBSCRIBERS ONLY CONNOISSEURS' FORUMS with edtiors Charles Olken and Stephen Eliot. 2006 Qupe Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate Santa Maria Valley It is not that this is just one of the better Syrahs from Qupe, it is also one of the top wines in this tasting, and it gets to that point through a combination of depth, highly concentrated fruit, very admirable complexity and an invigorated sense of vitality on the palate for a wine of its evident sinew. It is, in short, a wine whose black pepper, sweet smoke, black pepper spice and hints of mint and clove seasonings are handsomely fit to the wealth of blackberry fruit that holds things together. Long and lively as it finishes, with a touch of youthful narrowness that will be resolved with age, this is exceptional wine by almost any measure one can apply. $45.00 Score: 95