Tasting Notes Archive

2007 Caldwell Vineyard Syrah – Napa Valley l $45 l 91 points

Both rich and fleshy, intense and concentrated, with dark berry, pepper, spice and anise flavors. Full-bodied and expressive, ending with a complex mix of spicy, beefy berry flavors. Drink now through 2016. 104 cases made. –JL

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 94 points

From a well-known Napa vineyard, the 2007 Syrah Caldwell Vineyard (104 cases) was one of my favorite wines in the tasting.

From Coombsville's cool climate, the dense ruby/purple-colored 2006 Syrah Caldwell Vineyard reveals a complex floral, blueberry, and black raspberry-scented perfume, sweet, noble tannins, and a layered finish.  Drink this superb Syrah over the next 8-10 years.

JC Cellars Caldwell Vineyards Napa Valley

91 points • $50 • 448 cases made • Syrah

Pure, rich and complex, sleek and focused, full-blown yet well-proportioned, with a medley of ripe blackberry, spice, mineral and sage all woven together and ending with firm, minerally tannins. Drink now through 2014. --J.L.

Exhibits a scorched/volcanic earth-like character along with notions of roasted herbs, espresso, cassis, and blackberries. This heady, Hermitage-like effort is distinctive, it should benefit from another year or so of bottle age and drink well for a decade or more.

From its dramatic, intensely peppery aromas of blackberries and ripe plums to its plush, positively mouthfilling flavors, the wine simply oozes concentrated berries and spice while getting a big boost from its very rich oak. Yet, for all of its mass and evident stuffing, it is remarkably well-balanced and buffers its heat with extract to spare. As this very deep wine and its impressive mates clearly attest, winemaker Jeff Cohn understands richness when it comes to Syrah. 

This Syrah boasts a deeper, darker, blue/purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of blueberries, black raspberries, licorice and crushed rocks. Full-bodied and harmonious, with sweet tannin as well as expansive richness, this beauty can be drunk now and over the next decade.

A bold, dark, rich and delicious Syrah, with tiers of blackberry, wild berry and chocolate brownie flavors shaded by smoky, toasted oak and chicory. Intense, firm and concentrated, with anise, licorice and chewy tannins folding together on the palate. Decant. Best from 2007 through 2012.

Intensely aromatic and redolent of fresh raspberries with a good bit of oaky sweetness, hints of cocoa and a touch of peppery spice, this ample wine is unabashed in its ripeness but avoids the palate sprawl that can affect such wines. Its solid sense of wild berries holds well into its slightly hot finish, and its fine-grained tannins suggest that it will be drinking quite well by the time of its third or fourth birthday.

If a tad less sizable imposing than Cohn's Rockpile bottling, this wine is just enough more refined to rate very highly on its own. Its sweet, jammy, concentrated aromas are certainly keyed first on ripe blackberries and chocolate, and it picks up peppery and richly oaky characteristics along the way. Plush and coating in feel, it is not unexpectedly hot at the finish, and it asks for a few years of quite cellaring to come into its own.

Medium-dark purplish ruby color; attractive, complex, spicy, herbal, earthy, plumy, dark currant and black raspberry fruit aroma with notes of vanilla (though not quite as intense as some of the other top rated wines in this group); full body; big, dense, concentrated, highly extracted, cedary, jammy, creamy, very rich, ripe black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors; well balanced and structured; lingering aftertaste. Shows distinctive varietal character and developed with airing in the glass too. Should reward a few more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

From the southern Napa Valley, this wine (from the sol-called Aiken soils, primarily reddish soils with volcanic ash and rocks) is a French-styled, Côte Rôtie-like effort offering notes of crème de cassis, dried herbs, black fruits, flowers, underbrush, subtle toast, and roasted meats. This dense, full-bodied beauty reveals admirable purity, a wonderful texture, and a long finish. It should drink well for 7-8 years.

Dark, plush and deeply concentrated, with a pure, rich, syrupy core of amazingly complex blackberry and wild berry fruit, yet it manages to retain a sense of elegance and finesse, finishing with potent vanilla and espresso bean flavors. Drink now through 2009.

A spectacular effort, the full-bodied, layered, serious 2001 Caldwell Vineyard Syrah exhibits notes of truffles, damp earth, blackberries, licorice and a hint of pepper. This full-throttle, young but accessible Syrah should hit its stride in 2-3 years, and last for 12-15.

Pushes ripeness to the max, with plush, jammy wild berry, licorice, sage and dusty berry, finishing with ripe, smooth tannins and fine length, along with some heat. Drink now through 2009.

Ultrarich and unctuous, with lots of depth to currant, cola, beef, roasted herb, cassis and black cherry flavors. Ripe tannins carry through the finish, along with nicely integrated toasty oak. Drink now through 2006.