2003 Syrah

2003 Syrah

Does wine really get this dark purple!?  Extremely concentrated, spicy grapey and as dense as ink, the ripeness of this Syrah makes it look like blackberry pancake syrup.  Massive extract tattoos the tongue with red cherry and blackberry flavors and fine tannins that linger in the finish.  Neutral oak was favored for aging this 100% varietal mountain-grown Syrah.

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Appellation: Sonoma County
Vintage: 2003
Harvest: October 2003
Fermentation: Stainless Steel
Cooperage: French Oak
Blend: 100% Syrah
Alcohol: 14.3%
Bottling: November 2004
Production: 528 cases
Release Date: May 2005
Release Price:

Reviews

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  • Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: May/June 2005, Issue 120 - Rating: 91

    Good bright, saturated medium ruby. Captivating aromas of high-toned candied raspberry, smoked meat and gunflint. Dense, lush and thick, but given shape by surprisingly firm acidity. Uncompromisingly dry and stony on the palate; not at all a fruit driven style of syrah. Finishes with substantial broad, dusty tannins and excellent length. Very interesting wine, from what winemaker Bob Foley describes as "a quartz gravel pile on the crest of the hill." The fruit was entirely destemmed, and no new barrels were used.

  • Wine Spectator Insider: July 13, 2005 - Rating: 92

    Immense and firmly tannic, blessed with lively acidity. The core blackberry and blueberry flavors are shaded by hints of beef, sage, herb and tobacco. Coming together nicely on the finish, but clearly needs cellaring to soften. Best from 2007 through 2013.

  • Connoisseurs' Guide: November 2005 - Rating: 89

    Mildly gamy, a touch smoky and simply brimming with sweet, caramelized, oaky spice, Pride Mountain's latest Syrah goes for complexity and depth while keeping overt fruitiness fairly quiet. It is full and fleshy in feel without the heaviness that sometimes comes with wines of such ripeness and weight. Its finish is a bit tough and dry, but this is a young wine with excellent potential for improvement, and all signs point to better if it is allowed to age for another five years.

  • The Wine Advocate: December 26, 2005 Issue 162 - Rating: 90

    Bob Foley continues to demonstrate a sure hand with Syrah grown in their Sonoma vineyard's gravelly/quartz soils. The medium to full-bodied 2003 Syrah offers fresh acidity (thanks to the high mountain elevation) as well as abundant blackberry and floral characteristics. Drink this beauty over the next 5-6 years.