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  • : 2006 Eric Kent "Kalen's Big Boy Blend" Sonoma Syrah
2006 Eric Kent "Kalen's Big Boy Blend" Sonoma Syrah Product Zoom

2006 Eric Kent "Kalen's Big Boy Blend" Sonoma Syrah

SKU #1042842

94 points and Highly Recommended from the Wine Spectator: "Ripe, firm and complex, with wonderful aromatics and generous, full-bodied spice, blackberry, wild berry, cedar, sage and pepper. Tightly focused and well-structured, this ends with a long, full, peppery finish. Drink now through 2015. 325 cases made." (03/09) 91 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Vivid ruby. Deep, youthfully brooding aromas of cassis, blueberry and licorice, with a strong undertone of olive and smoke. Fleshy and sweet, offering sexy black and blue fruit flavors, velvety texture and an exotic floral note. The licorice note repeats on the finish, which is sappy, sweet and impressively persistent. " (May/June '09) All grown up, but with a touch of youthful exuberance, the 2006 "Kalen's Big Boy Blend" is the vinous equivalent of coming of age. The boisterous nose is full of youthful passion, with notes of cherry and pencil lead, earl grey tea and anise. But the graceful palate shows the restraint of experience, with hints of chocolate and soft tannins to complement the juicy black fruit. We recommend decanting this wine now, or cellaring for another year or five.

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Price: $35.99
WS 94 ST 91

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Additional Information:

Varietal:

Shiraz/Syrah

- One of France's noblest black grape varieties, Syrah is known for its intense and distinctive perfume reminiscent of briar fruit, tar, spice and black pepper and its firm structure. One of few black grape varietals frequently vinified on its own, the best examples of Syrah come from the Northern Rhône, particularly Hermitage, but also Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph. These wines are very astringent in their youth, though some Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph can be enjoyed young, relatively speaking. Given the requisite patience, though, these wines can reveal amazing complexity and secondary fruit characteristics like plum and blackcurrant as well as subtle hints of smoke and flowers. In the Southern Rhône, Syrah is used to add structure and complexity to wines dominated by Grenache and complemented by Mourvèdre, like the more immediately drinkable Côte du Rhônes, as well as the long-lived wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In recent years, plantings of Syrah have spread throughout the Languedoc-Roussillon where it is produced on its own or blended with other varietals. Outside of France, the most important Syrah growing country is easily Australia, where it is called Shiraz. Quality levels here depend greatly on yields and geography, and the wines range from bold, fruity and easy-drinking to intense and ageable, like the famed Penfolds Grange. Often bottled on its own, in Australia Syrah is also can be blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre, as in the Southern Rhône, and is increasingly combined with Cabernet Sauvignon. Syrah has also been steadily increasing in popularity in California, thanks to a group of advocates called the Rhône Rangers. Its most successful iterations come from the Central and Sonoma Coasts, where winemakers are pushing boundaries and creating some incredible wines. In recent years Syrah has also found a number of proponents in Washington State, which is definitely a region to watch for this variety.
Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world. Click for a list of bestselling items from the United States.
Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year. For our entire selection of California wines, please visit this link.
Specific Appellation:

Sonoma County

- Second in fame only to Napa, this "other" valley offers just about every climate and topography imaginable. From its cool and fog-enshrouded coastal regions on the far west, to the sprawling Alexander Valley on the boarder of Napa and the many little dips and peaks in between, Sonoma has been a vital wine-grape-growing region since the mid 1800s. Important sub-AVAs include Chalk Hill (known for chardonnay and sauvignon blanc), Dry Creek Valley (where zin is king) Knights Valley (largely cabernet land), Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast (both celebrated pinot and chardonnay zones).