OC Virtual Rosella's Syrah Tasting

Hosted by Jim and Lorena so we had the usual excellence of homemade salsas, asada and tasted everything in the backyard. Thanks to you guys for hosting and the food was smashing good. The theme was Rosella's syrah, with some additional wines set around the theme for added flavor. We believe the following to be a full look @ the history of all things Rosella, with every bottle produced for sale tasted below.

• 2005 Novy Family Wines Chardonnay Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  A little sweet for me. Some viscosity and lemon custard. A good wine to encourage your date to be frisky.

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• 2005 Leigh Cellars Syrah Sleepy Hollow Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County

  From the hands of Gerry Frayer, who also attended the event. Good man, sharing this!! Hint of funk on the nose and what I want to call perfume/lavender--only way to describe it for me. palate has some big plum, and what feels like a cherry/plum jam. Good debut, pal. Bottle it up........wine releases this summer.

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• 2005 Novy Family Wines Syrah Parsons' Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Thank you Adam for adding this bottle to the event. Many questions about this being 100% whole cluster and how much whole cluster the other wines get so perhaps you can post some perspective for us. This wine screams licorice, cherry, espresso, dominated by red fruit and some herbal notes, along with nice stem component on nose. Reminds me of some of the Copain style Wells is doing. Well done and very nice.

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• 2001 Lucia Syrah Garys' Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Put into the event (thank you, Cris) at the beginning before we launched into the Rosella's stuff. Peppery nose, starting to brown and brick some with age. Teriyaki, beef jerky nose, which I attribute to the place--it's Garys'. Palate seems a little loamy to me, with some sweet plum fruit.

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• 2001 Novy Family Wines Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Tasted from magnum. Ryan called the nose on this dead on--'balsamic'. Also some caramel, faint pepper and a plummy core with what I perceived as a little sweet, too. Not bad but not my favorite of the night.

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• 2002 Novy Family Wines Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  White pepper, soy and a higher acid profile with darker fruit, as compared to the 2001. At 2 hours open, the funk and big stink of this wine, which was always a hallmark for me, comes out, along with the pepper. Needed time to open.

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• 2003 Novy Family Wines Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Pepper, and as Gerry called it, more black pepper in tone. Riper style, low acdity, bigger richness. At 2 hours, more pepper, more funk and seems a lot juicier to me than at opening.

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• 2003 Roar Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Nose on this one more like the 2002 Novy Rosellas, with more pepper, some heat on nose but less heat than the 2003 Novy Rosella's. Finish is light with more grapefruit acidity and some pruniness. At 2 hours, blackberry, dark plum, pruny and rich. This wine took time to get there and I prefer this over the 2003 Novy, actually.

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• 2004 Novy Family Wines Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  More open textured than the 2004 Roar Rosella's, more forward and a broader palate with grapefruit. Dark espresso and to me, more blue/black flavors here than red.

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• 2004 Roar Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  One of my three best wines of the night. Licorice, red fruit, grapefruit, tight and chalky finish, with dark toasted espresso. At 2 hours open, oh you lovely thing: darker, licorice, pepper, inky and some black olive. This is what I recall my previous bottles tasting like. Delicious.

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• 2004 Zepaltas Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Boy, this was a wine that made some serious evolution with air. The initial judgment on it was harsh, nearly to a man within the group. Was called "Aussie", "oak chipped", "Lousiville Slugger", with a rich hedonistic, chocolate tone. However, at 2 hours open, now deeply dark, molasses, gingerbread, ripe and dense, reminding me of a Saxum Broken Stones. My advice on this one--give this wine a deep and long decant and don't judge it too quickly. I wish I could retaste this wine with a full 24 hours of air to really judge it properly.

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• 2005 Novy Family Wines Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Another one of my wines of the night here. We head back to red fruit again. Gamy, chocolate covered cherries with the wood accenting some dark flavor, yet no doubt about this being a red fruited wine for me. At 2 hours open, pepper comes forward now, with oak tannin and some licorice. Very nice. Dig it.

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• 2004 August West Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Nose is a mixture of pepper and balsamic, smoth palate, with citrus and red fruits, almost cranberry in tone, along with crushed cherry. Seems also at the same time oaky to me, with heavy chocolate and a light finish. At 2 hours open, perhaps a little darker with herb and chocolate. Amazing to me that comparing this wine to the 2004 Roar Rosella's hoe much different in wine and punch this wine shows.

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• 2005 August West Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Of all the Rosella's tried in the event, this wine shows the most olive and mediterrean herb feel. Palate is chalky with chocolate and blackberry. At 2 hours open, seems a little on the green side and kind of wierd to me. Not sure what to make of this wine right now.

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• 2005 Roar Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  My final wine of the night qualifier. Flowery nose, perhaps the most of all the Rosella's tried in the event. And, don't see any pepper here. Showing more licorice and some bbq meat on the palate. Delicious. Not sure why I did not retry after 2 hours. Have one more bottle to try and will do so within the month and add another TN. Liked what I saw here.

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• 2005 Novy Family Wines Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  I threw this into the mix, having just bought it and received it a week or so ago. Figured it would be a nice lead into the Rosella's flight, given that it has Rosella's blended into it. As tasted recently @ Family Winemakers, when it shows a softer side, it does so here, too. Licorice, dark ink with a pretty deep color--love it. Chocolate, plum and the typical nose of pepper and game. This wine hums well now and for about $25, still for me a great bottle year after year.

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