Lillian Winery
Gold Series No. 03 Syrah
California, USA
Last of a 3-pack and another wine (and producer) that I always ask “why don’t I buy more of this?”, especially as prices climb for so many others, yet these stay fairly consistent. Consumed from bottle over the course of an afternoon.
Gold label (extended barrel age). It’s tempting to want to compare these to SQN (or Andremily) due to winemaker, and while they share many similarities, Lillian seems to have a more elegant and floral profile. Deep black/purple in the glass, immediately smells of green whole cluster spice, black peppercorn, lavender and black berry fruit. The palate is very spice driven (herbal, pepper), with ripe red and dark fruit (raspberries, blackberries), and potpurri. Nothing about this is rich or extracted. Still sports a grippy finish, but the acidity right now keeps this well balanced. May get a tiny bit better, but this seems to be in the zone at the moment.
Last of a 3-pack and another wine (and producer) that I always ask “why don’t I buy more of this?”, especially as prices climb for so many others, yet these stay fairly consistent. Consumed from bottle over the course of an afternoon.
Gold label (extended barrel age). It’s tempting to want to compare these to SQN (or Andremily) due to winemaker, and while they share many similarities, Lillian seems to have a more elegant and floral profile. Deep black/purple in the glass, immediately smells of green whole cluster spice, black peppercorn, lavender and black berry fruit. The palate is very spice driven (herbal, pepper), with ripe red and dark fruit (raspberries, blackberries), and potpurri. Nothing about this is rich or extracted. Still sports a grippy finish, but the acidity right now keeps this well balanced. May get a tiny bit better, but this seems to be in the zone at the moment.