BLACK BART SYRAH STAGECOACH VINEYARDS - 2005

I first tasted this marvelous wine at the Lauber Grand Annual Tasting last May. It blew me away. It was the best and most memorable wine on the tasting floor. I had been searching for it unsuccessfully for quite some time. I was thrilled to see it pop up on the "This Just In" link on Wine Library's site last month. I quickly bought a few bottles. I couldn't wait to taste it again. It didn't disappoint.

From Krupp Brothers Estates (Veraison, Black Bart & Krupp Brothers Estates brands), this Napa Valley Syrah has a small amount of Viognier and an alcohol content of 15.2%. Matured for 16 months in 85% new French barriques, it is unfined and unfiltered.

TASTING NOTES:

Purple-red color with a nose of violets, wild berries and vanilla. Flavors of black currant, blackberry, black cherry and cinnamon are followed up with a wonderful plum finish and just enough oak. Soft and silky with a hint of dusty tannins.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

95 PTS

This is a remarkable wine with tremendous depth, precision and attention to detail. Wonderfully balanced and complex with excellent structure. With over-the-top popular Aussie Shiraz flooding the marketplace and stylistically impacting the California Syrah scene, it is refreshing to find a wine like this being made. I can't wait to see how it ages over the next few years. Retails for around $45 - $50.