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2010 Melville "Estate-Verna's" Santa Barbara County Syrah Product Zoom

2010 Melville "Estate-Verna's" Santa Barbara County Syrah

SKU #1074850 91 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

(half of this fruit was picked at 23 degrees Brix on December 1st; vinified with 50% whole clusters): Dark ruby. Intense black raspberry, cherry and floral aromas are complicated by notes of cracked pepper and anise. Supple, sweet and elegant, showing excellent depth and a broad range of dark fruit and floral qualities. Silky and intensely fruity on the gently tannic finish, which leaves sexy floral and spice notes behind. (11/ 2012)

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A delicate, finely knit fabric of aromas and flavors floats on the palate in the 2010 Syrah Estate Verna-s. Mint, plums and sweet herbs all meld together in this gracious, impeccable Syrah. The intensely perfumed, feminine finish has a sweet, almost-Pinot like register from the use of 50% whole clusters. Amazingly, in 2010 the harvest stretched into December 1. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. (8/ 2012)

K&L Notes

There are a lot of great things about Melville's "Verna's" Syrah--its silky texture, its luscious fruit--but they're all made even better by its always affordable price. (Who says you can't drink interesting wine without spending a fortune?) The 2010 vintage was 40% whole cluster aged in neutral oak, so there isn't an overwhelming amount of spice or stick vanilla to overpower the fruit. Instead you're treated to a glassful of blackberries, plums and figs accented by violets and a soy sauce-like umami component. Fresh and savory, food friendly but soft enough to drink on its own, this is a great Syrah to have on hand for everyday drinking.

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Price: $19.99
ST 91 RP 90

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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:

Santa Maria/Santa Barbara

- Santa Maria and Sants Inez make up the two AVAs of Santa Barbara County, an area known for its natural beauty and temperate climate. The best grape-growing areas, however, are located on the very coastal reaches of these two appellations, and are cooled by ever-present fog and ocean breezes (it is even cooler and foggier here than Carneros!). As expected, chardonnay and pinot noir thrive while the more inland zones lay claim to Bordeaux varietals and some Rhône blends.
Alcohol Content (%): 14