2004 Linne Calodo Outsider

This is an awesome blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Mourvedre.

I  must say upfront that I think that I opened it much too early. This is a huge wine with a lot of alcohol, but I think it sit another year or two. It is very fruity, but has a great mouth-feel, the taste curve is well-balanced and it matched up with my Trader Joe’s Goat Cheese pizza quite nicely.

Color is dark purple and the wine has nice legs.

Aromas include blackberry, leather, a touch of blueberry, some cedar, and a touch of vanilla. I would like to say it smells like a late harvest Zinfandel, but that doesn’t quite explain the rich and ripe aroma.

In the mouth, it has a great balance.  Flavors include blackberry, blueberry, and a horse saddle. (Ok, there’s a bit of leather in there.)

The finish is hot with tons of dark fruit and perhaps a touch of eucalyptus on the very end.

I like it a lot!

2002 JC Cellars Rockpile Vineyard Syrah

I figured that I probably waited too long to open this one, but I think I caught it right at the peak. It is much more intense than I remember.

The color is intensely deep, dark purple in color. The aromas include very ripe blackberry and blueberry, with a just a touch of vanilla. The flavors include a lot of very ripe dark fruit.  And the finish is very hot. There is a lot of alcohol in this one.

This one scores 20 out of 20 points for me!

2004 Stolpman Hilltops Syrah Estate Grown

Got this one on a recommendation at a local wine store.  After a brief discussion about my preferences (no slander to be given here), he steered me in the direction of a few choice selections; one was this most excellent product from the Santa Ynez Valley. Research shows a rating of 95 from Robert Parker and I totally agree with it.

Complex and full bodied, this wine is dense purple in color with notes of blackberries, blueberries, cassis, licorice, vanilla, oak, and pepper. Gotta love the heat (15.2%) and the finish is long. As memory serves, this one was priced around $35 and well worth a second purchase.