Review by Solosyrah Left Bend Winery is the project of winemaker Gary Robinson and his friend Richard Hanke. At the moment, it’s an extremely low production winery. The Santa Cruz Syrah I tasted from the 2010 vintage was just recently released. It’s a very impressive wine. I was concerned that at 14.4% it would be […]
Review by Wine Mizer Can anyone discuss the taste of a Cabernet Sauvignon without mentioning cassis? Well, it’s obviously too late for me to do that, so I’ll put off that description for a moment and instead talk balance. Balance as in a wine of balance; a flying Walenda of balance. This is my second […]
Being a wine writer (say those two words fast ten times) has its good moments, and I’m grateful when they happen. Occasionally, I have the opportunity to taste product from wineries that are new to me and otherwise might go inexperienced. Some is good. Some goes unmentioned in my blog. And then – not too often – some send me into a state of wonder and joy. Such is what happened recently when I tasted Left Bend’s 2010 inaugural release of their Syrah.
My friend Richard and I recently picked up a half ton of beautifully ripe Syrah from Ruben Balderas at Black Ridge Vineyards in Los Gatos. Ruben’s crew met me at the vineyard at 7 AM to harvest the grapes in the cool morning air. Black Ridge sits at an elevation of about 1,000 feet and […]