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Wine Spectator Scores

JCCellars

Syrah Rockpile Haley Rockpile Vineyard 2009

93 points | $60 | 100 cases made | Red

Tight, firm, intense and concentrated, this is slow to unfold but does so with depth, focus and complexity, targeting mineral, dried berry, wild berry, blackberry, underbrush and cedar flavors, with ripe, chewy tannins. Drink now through 2022.—J.L.

 

Zinfandel Alexander Valley St. Peter’s Church Vineyard 2009

92 points | $45 | 370 cases made | Red

Distinctive and loaded with personality, with wild berry and white pepper aromas and complex, slightly rustic blackberry, smoky licorice and sage flavors that finish with briary tannins. Drink now through 2017.—T.F.

 

Zinfandel Paso Robles Dusi Vineyard 2009

92 points | $35 | 250 cases made | Red

A complete package, this is ripe and briary, but also complex and focused. Aromas of smoky sage and black cherry lead to lively flavors of blackberry and spicy anise that show a hint of caramel. Drink now through 2017.—T.F.

 

Misc. Stuff California 2009

94 points | $45 | 252 cases made | Red

Tight, firm and focused, with a riveting mix of pepper and spice, this offers great depth and complexity while remaining light on its feet, with an impressive finish, where the flavors gain a minerally edge. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2020.

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Tasting Notes Archive

2000 Frediani Vineyard Petite Syrah

"The perfect combination of 80 to 100 year old head trained vines planted on a hillside near Calistoga in Napa Valley and a grower, Al Frediani, who truly loves what he does and has been mastering his craft on this vineyard his entire life, result in this fantastic wine. These vines have low fruit yields resulting in intense flavor and color and produce a wine of incredible complexity. We used eight different types of French oak Burgundy style barrels (70% new) with medium to high toast during the aging of this wine."  -Jeff Cohn

Tasting Notes

Full-bodied and oozing with blackberry pie filling in a cinnamon piecrust with hints of cassis, dark chocolate and subtle hints of smoked game. A truly decadent experience.

Varietals: 100% Petite Syrah
Appellation: Napa Valley
Alcohol: 14.1%
Production: 110 cases

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An offering that will last 20-25 years is the 2005 Petite Syrah Frediani Vineyard. Backward, with notes of blueberries, crushed rocks, violets, and spring flowers, this dense, tannic, super-extracted effort is still an infant in terms of development. Forget it for 5-6 years, and drink it over the following 2-3 decades
Exhibits an opaque blue/purple color in addition to sweet aromas of blueberries, crushed rocks, and white flowers. Powerful, concentrated, and amazingly intense as well as rich, it should easily evolve for two decades or more. This grape remains the most underrated high quality varietal in California, especially for longevity.
Beautifully crafted, rich and spicy, with exotic wild berry, hazelnut, plum and black cherry, this wine offers lots of finesse and polish, ending with a long, integrated finish that keeps repeating the delightful flavor themes. Best from 2006 through 2012.
Readers should not be misled by the label which lists a modest 17% alcohol, because it does not taste or smell hot. The color is a saturated blue/purple, and the wine is almost painfully concentrated and intense, but very pure. Despite what I am sure will be protestations from the alcoholphobes, it is remarkably well balanced. Although I would not go so far as to call it "vivacious", it is a heavyweight example of Petite Sirah at its biggest and richest. It undoubtedly has 20-30 years of aging potential.
This wine comes from a 60-80-year old block of Petite Syrah planted just outside the warmer end of Napa near Calistoga. The color is an inky/blue/purple, and the nose offers up sumptuous aromas of violets, black fruits, crushed rocks, chocolate, and espresso. Enormously endowed yet remarkably civilized for a wine of such mass, it reveals impeccable winemaking along with tremendous purity as well as depth. This is not for readers looking for lighter-styled reds as it is full-throttle Petite Syrah fury captured in a bottle. It should age well for 15+ years.
Petite can't get any darker - this is a surprisingly sleek and supple youngster, given its level of tannins and fruit concentration. The wild berry, blackberry and loganberry flavors are ripe, rich and vibrant, ending with the tannic muscle you might expect. Drink now through 2012.
The 2000 Petite Syrah Frediani Vineyard is a pedal to the metal, full-throttle wine. Its opaque purple color accompanies a bouquet of melted road tar, black fruits, and underbrush. Dense, chewy, and moderately tannic, but not completely civilized; it should drink well for 10-12 years.
Dark, intense, rich and offering a wealth of rip, juicy plum, wild berry, floral and jammy blueberry pie flavors. Manages to tame its tannins without sacrificing Petite's integrity. Drink now through 2008.