This is the 14th cuvee of this Californian version of a high-class Cotes du Rhone made by Morgan Twain-Peterson MW. Bedrock has been making stunning small-production wines from some of California’s oldest vineyards since 2007, so some seriously old vine fruit ends up in this blend. Shebang! is a blend of Zinfandel, Carignan, Alicante Bouchet, Syrah and Barbera fermented with native yeasts and aged in primarily neutral barrels (15% in new French oak). Each grape variety is vinified separately and added to a multi-vintage Solera. Each year he tops it up with new wines after drawing off the wine to be bottled.
California
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2012 Syrah Le Pousseur, Bonny Doon
£3500Add to BasketBonny Doon Vineyards’ 2012 Syrah, “Le Pousseur,” is made from Syrah grapes grown in some nice Central Coast spots – 48% Alamo Creek Vineyard, 18% Bien Nacido Vineyard, 18% Spanish Springs Vineyard and 16% Ventana Vineyard. These are cool-climate sites and the website states that with “a fair amount of whole clusters included, this is a savory Syrah of great restraint.”
Randall Grahm writes that he finds Le Posseur “enchanting and captivating rather than overpowering.” He labels it as a “feminine” Syrah. I don’t make it a habit to argue with a winemaker about his wines, but I was taken to task once for the use of the term “feminine” as a sexist way to describe a wine. PC or not PC, it does not strike me as feminine. Maybe it’s feminine in a masculine way. Or masculine in a feminine way. Maybe it’s just a wine having a crisis of sexuality. Or maybe it’s just a Syrah of great restraint. It retails for $26 and 2,126 cases were produced.
Under the screw cap is a wine which is opaque indigo. Big blueberry fruit dominates the nose with a savory undercurrent. It is possibly the fruitiest nose I’ve experienced from a Bonny Doon red, which usually lean savory. The palate shows dark fruit too, with just a hint of that black olive note Grahm’s wines often exhibit. Very nice acidity and a good tannic grip top off an entirely enjoyable experience. The oak touch is nice, just right in fact.
90 points from PlanetGrape.com: “Seductive notes of red rose, lilac, raspberry and cherry mingle with earthy notes of game, bacon and underbrush. Smooth and silky. Decant to let oxygen do its thing.” (02/2015) According to the winery: “We’ve been in a nice aromatic groove of late with Le Pousseur, largely in virtue of the string of very cool vintages, and sourcing our fruit exclusively from cool climate sites. The ’12 Pousseur (who is to say why) is still in a Marlon Brando-like bit of a sullen funk, but there is no question that underneath that brooding exterior, there beats the heart of a Wild One. The Alamo Creek component (possibly in virtue of its extremely gravelly soil) seems to add a strong mineral/earthy/bloody note, not utterly unreminiscent of Cornas. With more air, you begin to gradually discern the characteristic anise/licorice character that typifies Syrah. On the palate, the wine has a refreshing acidity, tannins well-resolved and is remarkably savory with an exceptionally long finish. This wine is still amazingly young and will benefit from several years of ageing (if you can wait). If you can’t wait, decanting is well advised.”
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2016 ‘GSM’ Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Benevolent Neglect
£4500Add to BasketThe nose is intoxicating and perfumed, with a heavy proportion of florals, specifically violets, with nuanced, understated berry fruits and an intriguing mineral/graphite component emerging with time in the glass. The palate is sumptuous, plump and satisfying while retaining restraint, the oak beautifully integrated and suggested as a slight lick of caramel on the lengthy finish, which is all framed by restrained tannins and a lingering, mouthwatering finish of red fruits and savoury game. The guys from Benevolent make delicious, unique wines with soul.
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2015 Syrah ‘Las Madres Vineyard’, Benevolent Neglect
£4850Add to BasketThis gorgeous Syrah shows the synergy between highly skilled winemakers and a genuinely great Syrah vineyard.
Floral and expressive on the nose with aromas of pepper, blueberry and black olive. The texture is what really stands out on the palate. Fresh and complex with spicy black pepper, meat and some olive tapenade flavour. The finish is full of energy and just befits what came before.
A truly delicious glass of wine and very moreish.
Also worth remembering that California wine is generally expensive in the UK and we at Wine Republic believe that if a more famous winery or brand made this, you would be paying substantially more. -
2016 Whole Cluster Syrah ‘Las Madres Vineyard’, Benevolent Neglect
£5650Add to BasketBenevolent Neglect is two winemaking friends who make some of our favourite small-scale wines. This is classic cool-climate Syrah from one of the most well regarded Syrah vineyards in Sonoma Carneros, the Las Madres vineyard. Similar to the main-release Las Madres Syrah, the Whole Cluster is a special edition of the same wine made entirely with whole cluster fermentation, resulting in a style that comes closer to true Northern Rhône. The nose is blood oranges and dark spices, with a woodsy, umami character that brings to mind wild mushrooms and herb-roasted game. Bacon fat, too. The palate is gutsier, with a forward punch of dark berries accented by a savoury vanillin lick from the Hungarian oak treatment. The finish is sustained, with an elegance and silky texture that totally overshadows its relatively high alcohol content.
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2011 Patrina Syrah, Alban Vineyards
£6500Add to BasketJohn Alban is more than a wine producer: Robert Parker has described him as the “spiritual and qualitative leader of the Rhône Ranger movement”: his impact on wine production in California is not to be understated. Established in 1989, Alban Vineyards represents California’s first winery and vineyard dedicated exclusively to the varietals of the Rhône at a time when anything that was neither Cabernet nor Chardonnay was barely grown in California, Alban was a groundbreaking project and has gone on to be regarded as one of the U.S.A’s best and most influential producers.
A deliciously rich and complex wine, the 2011 Patrina hits the ideal balance between the New and Old World ways of winemaking. Dark and brooding in the glass, the bouquet is understated with earthy notes of blackberry and cherry. As it moves across the palate it reveals an array of dark berries, plum, cassis, and Indian spices. The finish includes dark cocoa delicately balanced on a framework of silky tannins.
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2010 Patrina Syrah, Alban Vineyards
£6500Add to BasketJohn Alban is more than a wine producer: Robert Parker has described him as the “spiritual and qualitative leader of the Rhône Ranger movement”: his impact on wine production in California is not to be understated. Established in 1989, Alban Vineyards represents California’s first winery and vineyard dedicated exclusively to the varietals of the Rhône at a time when anything that was neither Cabernet nor Chardonnay was barely grown in California, Alban was a groundbreaking project and has gone on to be regarded as one of the U.S.A’s best and most influential producers.
The 2010 Patrina boasts gorgeously pure aromatics of cassis, raspberry, flowers and spice, full-bodied richness and an overall layered, fresh profile that’s hard to resist.
It offers a rare and affordable glimpse into the craft of one of the Central Coast’s most enduring pioneers of Rhone varieties.
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2007 Old Lakeville Vineyard Syrah, Bedrock Wine Co.
£7500Add to BasketA sexy, room-filling bouquet of black raspberry, boysenberry, potpourri and incense. Broad, palate-staining dark fruit flavors are impressively deep and pure, picking up violet and rose pastille character with air. A tangy graphite note builds on the finish and adds energy to the deep, seductively sweet fruit.
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2010 Reva Syrah, Alban Vineyards
£12000Add to BasketEstablished in 1989, Alban Vineyards represents California’s first winery and vineyard dedicated exclusively to the varietals of the Rhône. Pioneered by John Alban at a time when anything that was neither Cabernet nor Chardonnay was barely grown in California, Alban was a groundbreaking project and has gone on to be regarded as one of the U.S.A’s best and most influential producers.
It is the Syrah releases from Alban which, justifiably, receive the most attention. Reva Syrah is Alban’s much-coveted, hard to come by top release; a 100% single vineyard Syrah which is aged in oak for 42 months before release.
“The 2010 Syrah Reva is magnificent. Blue and blackish tone fruits, smoke, tar, liquorice, cloves and menthol all flesh out in a supple, exotic wine endowed with superb depth and polish. An explosive finish rounds things out beautifully in this impeccable, opulent Syrah. The 2010 spent 44 months in oak, 70% new, all of which it has handled with grace. Of the three 2010 Syrahs, this is the wine I would personally reach for more often, as it is truly stellar.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous: 95-97pts.
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2011 Reva Syrah, Alban Vineyards
£12000Add to BasketJohn Alban is more than a wine producer: Robert Parker has described him as the “spiritual and qualitative leader of the Rhône Ranger movement”: his impact on wine production in California is not to be understated. Established in 1989, Alban Vineyards represents California’s first winery and vineyard dedicated exclusively to the varietals of the Rhône at a time when anything that was neither Cabernet nor Chardonnay was barely grown in California, Alban was a groundbreaking project and has gone on to be regarded as one of the U.S.A’s best and most influential producers.
It is the Syrah releases from Alban which, justifiably, receive the most attention. Reva Syrah is Alban’s much-coveted, hard to come by top release; a 100% single vineyard Syrah which is aged in oak for 42 months before release.
This 2011 is a superb offering from the Reva Vineyard boasting gorgeous aromas of blackberry liqueur, creosote, graphite, and a hint of smoky oak. It is an intense, dense, stunning effort with huge tannin, beautiful freshness and a blockbuster finish.
Incredibly decadent Syrah
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2009 Reva Syrah, Alban Vineyards
£12000Add to BasketEstablished in 1989, Alban Vineyards represents California’s first winery and vineyard dedicated exclusively to the varietals of the Rhône. Pioneered by John Alban at a time when anything that was neither Cabernet nor Chardonnay was barely grown in California, Alban was a groundbreaking project and has gone on to be regarded as one of the U.S.A’s best and most influential producers.
It is the Syrah releases from Alban which, justifiably, receive the most attention. Reva Syrah is Alban’s much-coveted, hard to come by top release; a 100% single vineyard Syrah which is aged in oak for 42 months before release. Upfront and highly varietal on the nose, this cult wine exudes aromas of cassis, wild herbs, violet, earth and smoke. The palate is incredibly full-bodied and decadent with immense depth and wonderful freshness. Flavours of dark fruit, coffee, toasty oak and perfumed spice build on an intense mid-palate before continuing on a long, momentous finish. We believe that this is California’s greatest example of this grape variety and will age gracefully over the next 20 years and beyond.
