James Park

9.2

Caramel. Prune. Good age. — 4 years ago

Liz Gresham

9.2

Drinking well. Decanted for 6 hours. The alcohol is still coming through. Still has good fruit. — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

My last bottle of 03 Alder Springs. I still have one bottle of the 02 Fortuna (better). Bottles from the earlier days of Behrens & Hitchcock. They’ve gone from B&H to Erna Schein to Behrens Family Winery. Back in the day when we first acquired these wines, we had to open them the night before, decent and put them back in the bottle overnight and re-decant the next evening in order to drink them as they were monsters with huge alcohol. 13 bottle years later, it’s more complex, rounder but still a big wine. While the alcohol has tamed some, it’s still hot...just not unbearably hot. This wine still has a ton of life in it. The nose still shows alcohol and is starting to take on a dark fruit liqueur/Port style. Blackberries, dark cherries, raisins, prunes, dates & blue fruits. Anise, black cherry licorice, a little eucalyptus/mint, dark chocolate, black tea, layers of baking spices, dark, sweet, rich, turned earth and fresh, dry crushed rocks and decayed dark florals. The body is full, round, lavish and lush. The palate also shows a dark fruit liqueur/Port character. Ripe, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, stewed plums, raisins, prunes, dates, blue fruits, anise, black cherry licorice, a little eucalyptus/mint, dry sage, medium, dark intensity spice that heats up as it rises off the palate, dark chocolate, black tea, layers of baking spices, chocolate pudding, well used leather, cedar, dark, sweet, rich, turned earth and fresh, dry crushed rocks, decayed dark florals and fading violets. The acidity is nicely rounded, the length, tension, structure may outlive some people 55+. The finish is; big, round, well balanced but just a little hot. After a couple hours in the decanter, it really rounded out and the alcohol decreased quite a bit. Photos top to bottom and left to right; the latest incarnation of the winery, workers in the Alder Springs Vineyard, Owner/Winemaker Les Behrens and their tasting room; which is actually a restored 1947 Westcraft trailer. A quote on Les’s philosophy on winemaking, “We let the vineyards steal the show and the wine speak for itself.” They are also well know for some of the coolest wine labels. One of my favorites was, “The Heavyweight.” — 6 years ago

Robert Evans Jr

9.5

4 hour decant. Love whatever Les Behrens creates. — 5 years ago

with Nicole

Eric

9.4

Now that’s more like it. Nice complex Syrah from the Alder Springs Vineyard. Wildflowers, plums, camphor, leather, tar, and charcoal. 👍 — 6 years ago

Dave Schneider

9.2

I wasn’t sure I would like this as much as I did. Lots of dark inky purple texture ( as expected) but really nice and well balanced. — 6 years ago

Bruce Evans

9.7

Gotta tell you. I was surprised on how much this bad boy had left after 13yrs. Always loved Behrens Hitchcock wines and bough this one...so glad o did. So big, so ripe almost amarone-like. I love this wine! — 5 years ago

John Trader

9.1

2003 vintage. Perfect brilliant fruit and color. Med on the pallet with a short but bright finish of dark cherry and chocolate — 6 years ago

Robert Evans Jr

9.2

Decanted over 4 hours served at desert on Thanksgiving — 6 years ago

Kevin Sidders

President VinConnect

8.9

One of my last bottles of B&H firewater. This is better integrated than the last, but still not where my palate is today. Super dark and rich, with black fruit and just a touch of heat. Drink up. — 7 years ago