Big Basin Vineyards Old Corral Syrah, California, USA

大盆地舊克拉爾西拉干紅葡萄酒

點擊次數：1766

Candied black cherries, black raspberry, violets and caramelized meats dominate the bouquet of the 2013 Syrah Old Corral (100% Syrah), which saw a small amount of whole clusters and 21 months in 10% new 300-liter barrels. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured and layered, it will drink nicely for a decade.

A classic Syrah from this estate, the 2012 Syrah Old Corral (there’s 9% Grenache in the blend) offers impressive black raspberry and crème de cassis like fruit to go with lots of graphite, crushed flowers and sweet spice. Elegant, medium-bodied, lightly textured and moderately concentrated, it won’t make old bones, but it will dish out plenty of pleasure over the coming 5-6 years.

Another cool-climate, beautifully complex effort, the 2011 Syrah Old Corral offers notions of white pepper, green olive, freshly snipped flowers and both red and black fruits in its medium-bodied, layered and energetic profile. Showing the focus and precision that’s common in the vintage, yet with good ripeness, it will drink nicely through 2021. Located high up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Big Basin Vineyards is run by Bradley Brown. He releases numerous estate wines, yet also makes a number of wines from other top vineyards in the Central Coast. These 2011s show the freshness and focus of the cooler vintage, and his 2012s offer beautiful purity, with more fruit forward profiles. Tel. (408) 564-7346; www.bigbasinvineyards.com

Possessing a cool-climate feel in its crisp blackberry, violets, menthol and peppery bouquet, the 2010 Syrah Old Corral is medium-bodied, juicy and lively on the palate, with bright acidity and a clean, focused finish. Incorporating 13% Grenache and 1% Viognier, all of which was aged 27 months in four new (air dried 48 months) French oak barrels, it opens up beautifully with air, has building richness and a classy, elegant style that will keep it drinking nicely for a decade or more.

The 2009 Syrah Old Corral shows quite a bit more depth and mid-palate density than the Rattlesnake Rock, all while expressing the medium-bodied, refined personality typical of the wines in this vintage. Layers of fruit build to the plush, resonant finish. This is the first vintage for the Old Corral. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. I tasted a bevy of gorgeous wines with proprietor Bradley Brown this year. These new and upcoming releases are impeccable and strongly suggest Brown is one of the up and coming stars of the region. I can hardly wait to see how his wines develop in the future. Most of the 2010 Pinots were harvested during the first week of October, on the late side that year. The wines spent 16 months in French oak, between roughly 40-60% new. The 2009 Syrahs were picked during a broad window that started in early October and lasted much of the month. Brown gave his 2009 Syrahs about 27 months in French oak, from 50-86% new. I also tasted a number of wines from barrel, most of them 2010 Syrahs and Syrah-blends. Today, those wines are very promising, as the cold 2010 vintage seems to have brought out the maximum in varietal definition and nuance. Tel. (831) 621-8028