Grapelive Weekend Wine Pick

By Kerry Winslow

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bigbasin07.gif2007 Big Basin Syrah Monterey/Santa Cruz Mountains.
For all those Syrah lovers out there, this wine is one to stock up on as it just might be the best Syrah for the money bar none in the state! I’ve tried this wine on three separate occasions over the last year and it just continues to develop and fill out in glorious ways with amazing lush fruit and pure Syrah character. With visions of terraced vines, like Cote-Rotie and the fabled Hermitage ran through my mind as I enjoyed this wine and it certainly has charm, vigor and richness in spades. Bradley Brown, winemaker, confessed to me that he was himself how good this wine turned out when I told him of how much I thought of it and that in my opinion it still has even more potential to go before peaking. The nose is all those things that Syrah has to offer, violets, spice, mocha, game, earth and bramble all of which transfers to the mouth and palate with ripe blackberry, boysenberry, currants and plum fruits, while added complexities include pepper, licorice, meat, bitter chocolate and smoke. Everything is balanced and focused in this wine which is a special cuvee of lots of fruit from the Santa Lucia Highlands from a vineyard near the Garys’ Vineyard and parts from the Santa Cruz Mountains where the winery is. ($28-30 Est.) 92-93 Points, grapelive

*Coming Soon to Rancho Cellars

www.bigbasinvineyards.com

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