94 2009 Eric Kent Kalen's Big Boy Blend Syrah (Russian River and Dry Creek) 10/10/16 ($50)
15.1% alc
Color: Very deep ruby/garnet. (3.5) Bouquet: Blackberry jam and French roast coffee beans are prevalent and beautifully integrated with briar and lavender nuances in the mix. Wonderful! (4.0) Body: Coats the mouth very nicely with outstanding fruit, acidity and smooth tannins underneath. (3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but with more coffee and less fruit making it less perfect, but just by a little. (3.5) Finish: Loses some focus here, but still long and tasty. (3.0)
Overall: A wonderful Syrah from its release, but it has matured to the point where it's peak. I have to admit that I was always dubious about a Russian River/Dry Creek Syrah blend, because I thought that the heaviness of the Dry Creek might drag the Russian River fruit down in the long run. Boy was I wrong! In this wonderful case, the Dry Creek structure supports the rich, somewhat elegant Russian River fruit to make a masterpiece of a wine. I really can't say that I've tasted a better CA Syrah than this. Kent, your a genius! (17)
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