Sunday, February 7, 2010

2008 Tensley Colson Syrah

This one was recommended to me strongly by David Ramey, the winemaker for the eponymous winery and the guy who crafts my favorite CA chardonnays. Attended the tasting mentioned in previous post and he urged me to buy this one (even though his own Syrah was being sold and it was good too, and more expensive--this one just $31 for 95 pt wine from Spectator).

Anyhow, this one is the proverbial fruit bomb with raspberry and huckleberry predominant on a very intensely fruity nose. On the palate the tannins are well concealed behind a good acid backbone and the huge fruit. The finish is long and mixed berryish. I'm not sure I'd go 95 points given the strong fruit which isn't all that complex. It is however hedonistic and that's something I'm more than happy to endorse. It's also a syrah that doesn't give off the pepper/vegetal element that I don't like. I'm guessing this one will be fine for another 4-5 years but i can't see it getting much better. maybe a little complexity and bottle bouquet will come out with another year or two of age. There isn't the tannin to take this for very many years. but for now it's certainly pleasurable, if not quite up to my benchmark fruit bomb, the 2004 De Lisio Grenache. I just like grenache better than syrah. I do see the minerally finish mentioned below and it's a nice extra dimension.

Spectator 95 pts: Displays gorgeous fruit, with a medley of wild berry, blackberry, huckleberry and boysenberry fruit that's pure, rich and intense, yet elegant, supple and refined. The fruit flavors are sustained on the finish, ending minerally, with fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2017. 1,610 cases made.–JL

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