Napa Valley Syrah

Big and fleshy. Inky intense fruit. Dense and quite fresh on the palate. Very pure

#AgedWineTuesday

To celebrate 6,500 reviews on Vivino, I chose this nicely aged Syrah.

Dark ruby in color with a brick rim.

Beautiful nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, raisins, vanilla, cedar, licorice, metals, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, vinaigrette and pencil lead.

Full bodied, elegant and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with plums, cherries, blueberries, wood, cloves, vanilla, spices, espresso, dark chocolates, peppercorn, pencil lead and earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is wonderful Syrah from Napa Valley. Well balanced and enjoyable by itself or with food. Showing great complexity and mouthfeel.

This 20 year old needs 45 minutes to open up properly, and remove the barnyard smell.

I've had this vintage a few years ago, and this is my last bottle. I'm glad it was such an enjoyable wine.

This is gorgeous and delicious. Rich, yet subdued. Elegant and smooth.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a BBQ burger.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

Impressive cork after 21 years in bottle. $45 on the secondary market.

Amazing purple, red & blue perfume florals on the nose upon cork pull. Ripe, creamy; blackberries, dark cherries, mulberries, black raspberries, black plums, raspberries, dry cranberries & plums. Mid dark spice, black pepper, clove, cinnamon, vanillin, purple fruit cola, light sweet tarriness, dry crushed rock powder, limestone minerals & steep fruit teas.

The palate & wine are still very solid but, better served 4-5 years ago when it was still peaking. Round, soft, powdery tannins. Ripe, creamy; blackberries, dark cherries, mulberries, black raspberries, black plums, raspberries, dry cranberries & plums. Mid dark spice, black pepper, clove, cinnamon stick, vanillin, saddle-wood, purple fruit cola, light sweet tarriness, forest floor with dry leaves, dry crushed rock powder, limestone minerals, used charcoal, moist clay & steep fruit teas. Amazing ruby & slightly candied purple, red & blue perfume florals. The acidy is a gentle rain shower. The finish is; lush, ruby, elegant, well balanced fruit & earth that slides juicy fruits to earth & spice & persists nicely for minutes. Wine flows beautiful elegance wire to wire.

Treat to drink Joseph Phelps wine at this age.

Excellent back in the day 13.5% ABV that I appreciate & miss!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve. 🍁🦃🍽 🎃

Nice, true to grape and place, was really expecting a total powerhouse but surprised by its moderate frame and firm tannin. Dark, roasty and savory nose, oak accompanies it well, really performed better with braised beef by its side. 1L

Heck of a 3rd Friday to kick off the holidays!

Rating this based on how impressive it tasted at 41yrs. Clay, muddled raspberries, blackberry, tomato paste, and herbal on the nose...mainly oregano. Lots of the same on the paplate with herbal spice, tangy fruit, and stewed plum. Over the hill, clearly, but still retaining some fruit and funk!

No simile, nor metaphor, nor purple language can do this wine justice. It is a tangible piece of California history and winemaking in this country. The first Syrah to be produced and labeled as such. Grapes were harvested at 22.5 Brix and that acidity gave this wine a gorgeous vibrancy that was utterly surprising and totally pleasurable to drink. The grapes were a trial and planted in 1959 by UC Davis at the Wheeler Farm vineyards. Upon release, marketing notes made comparisons to Petite Syrah because that variety was so much more familiar to the US market. I hope that I age as gracefully as this syrah, which was still ready to play hop scotch on the playground at 42 years old (which in wine years is like 105).

This was a bottle that @David T was kind enough to give when we met up yesterday and we took it to dinner tonight at our favorite Yountville spot, Bistro Jeanty.

First thought...this is Syrah?! Wow. Aged Syrah is such a treat these days. The typical charred meats, in your face alcohol and blueberry explosion wasn’t here at all. Incredibly smooth and balanced. Almost floral. Red and black fruit on the nose with a faint hint of blueberries, clove and nutmeg. Grilled rhubarb pie. An herbal spice on the finish. Stellar bottle. Thank you David.

Another warm up for our visit to Joseph Phelps with @Shay A. On the nose; perfumed, floral blue fruit explosion, soy, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, overly baked strawberries, light spice, black pepper, vanilla, crushed volcanic dry rocks, loamy dry top soil, light baking spices-clove, nutmeg & a whiff of cinnamon, black raspberry liqueur/cola, dark dry soils, dry stems, violets, lilacs & lavender. The body is full and rich. The drier tannins are rounded & showing plenty of teeth for an 04. A lot of life still left in this one. Fruits are ripe but dried in style. Blackberries, black raspberries, black spiced plum, blueberries, dark chocolate cherries, faint creamy strawberries haunt the back palate, medium spice with lifting heat, black pepper, dry stones, dry stems, star anise, bay leaf, dry loamy soil, volcanic ash, dark chocolate, caramel, baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, light vanilla, violets, lilacs & lavender. The acidity is round and spot on. The structure is still big, length long, good tension and the balance a perfect 50-50. The long beautiful finish is big, ripe, ruby, balanced and lasts minutes. The Phelps Syrah’s are far better than critics give them credit as long as you are willing to give them a long hold. Beautiful Syrah that’s borders on a 9.4 rating.

This is in a perfect place. What a treat. Biased review #josephphelps

Just coming into its own. Super rich, concentrated dark fruit, spice box and a hint of vanilla. Biased review #josephphelps