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: 2012 Morlet "Bouquet Garni" Bennett Valley Syrah

2012 Morlet "Bouquet Garni" Bennett Valley Syrah

SKU #1195812 96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark Luc Morlet further demonstrates his genius with his Syrah called Bouquet Garni from Bennett Valley, which is bottled without fining or filtration. There are only around five barrels (125 cases) of this 100% Syrah that tastes like it includes some Viognier in the blend (because of the floral and lavender notes). The 2012 Syrah Bouquet Garni offers up fabulous notes of black truffles, lavender, roasted herbs, graphite, blackberries and meaty charcuterie. Other than a handful of Syrahs from Sine Qua Non, this French-tasting Syrah is the closest thing I have tasted to Guigal’s famous Côte Rôtie La Landonne. Drink this sensational Syrah over the next 10-15 years. (RP) Inner quote mark (12/2014)

93 points Vinous

Outer quote mark The 2012 Syrah Bouquet Garni, from a site in Bennett Valley, is deep, powerful and explosive, with huge fruit and terrific overall intensity. Black cherry, plum, spice, lavender and sage are front and center. Voluptuous, racy and ripe, the Bouquet Garni offers notable intensity from start to finish. Wilder, gamier notes develop with time in the glass. This is a super-classic Luc Morlet wine built on power and intensity. (AG) Inner quote mark (8/2016)

92 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Outer quote mark Perfumed aromas of blackberry, menthol and spices are lifted by lavender and violet and complicated by meaty and black olive nuances. Dense, full and rather powerful, with noteworthy breadth to its black raspberry and pepper flavors. Firmly structured, backward syrah with spicy, peppery tannins. 92+ (ST) Inner quote mark (5/2014)

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2012 Morlet "Bouquet Garni" Bennett Valley Syrah

Price: $89.99

Quantity:

RP: 96

VN: 93

ST: 92

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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.

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.

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).