2007 Novy Syrahs Blindtasted w/Adam Lee

Tasting invite from tasting organizer Ross:
Tonight Adam Lee, winemaker at Siduri and Novy will be bringing his 2007 Syrahs down for us to taste. Although most of these wines have yet to be released and no reviews are available, the 2007 vintage was an outstanding year for Syrahs as well as Pinot Noirs. A long, cool growing season followed by an extended, rain-free autumn made for wines of great concentration but more moderate alcohol levels.

Adam is bring ten Syrahs with him (!) -- please plan on bringing 10 glasses if possible.

2007 Napa Valley
2007 Santa Lucia Highlands
2007 Russian River Valley
2007 Christensen Vineyard, Russian River Valley
2007 Page-Nord Vineyard, Napa Valley
2007 Unti Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley
2007 Rosella’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
2007 Garys’ Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
2007 Susan’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
2007 Judge Family Vineyard, Bennett Valley

And I'll bring a collection of special pre and post wines to complete the lineup.

• 1980 Sarah's Vineyard Zinfandel Les Vignerons Vignoble 86 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Brick medium dark raspberry red color with pale meniscus; VA, big berry, black raspberry, berry jam nose; tart raspberry, currant palate; medium finish

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• 1980 Cronin Zinfandel Big Zin 82 Points

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County

  Bricking medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; VA, dried berry, currant and truffle nose; tart, high aclochol with some dried berry and hot raspberry; hot medium finish (this bottling was the American oak one, whereas the last time I had this was the French oak bottling; alcohol 17.2%)

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• 1980 Ridge Zinfandel Trentadue Ranch 88 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Bricking medium red color with pale meniscus; tobacco, earthy, tart raspberry nose; tart plum, berry and orange palate with some acidity; medium finish (best of the flight of 3 1980 Zins)

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• 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Page Nord 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Group's #1 (my #2) – 53 pts; 6 1st place votes, 2 2nd place votes, 3 thirds, 0 last places – very dark red violet color; lovely, luscious, blackberry, black fruit, lavender, black raspberry nose with a touch of caramel; nice black fruit with a touch of green, very balanced and deep; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (runaway favorite of the group, and the best drinking of the 10 for right now)

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• 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Rosella's Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Group's #2 (my #4) – 78 pts; 3, 2, 2, 0 - very dark red violet color; nice, big, black fruit, anise, spice nose; tasty, black fruit, spice, anise, blackberry palate with depth; medium-plus finish

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• 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Group's #3 (my #6) – 79 pts; 2, 1, 3, 2 - very dark red violet color; big, black fruit, licorice, anise and blackberry nose with green notes; tasty, tart blackberry, black fruit and anise palate; medium-plus finish (18 barrels Garys', 10 barrels Rosella's and 1 barrel Susan's Hill)

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• 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Christensen Family Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Group's #4 (my #3) – 88 pts; 0, 2, 2, 0 - dark red violet color; lovely berry, boysenberry and fig nose; tasty, black fruit, tar and fig palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts.

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• 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Russian River Valley 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Group's #5 (my #7) – 91 pts; 0, 4, 2, 0 - opaque very dark red violet color; berry, black plum, lavender, graphite and black fruit nose; tight, black fruit, tart blackberry and tar palate with depth; medium finish 89+ pts. (11 barrels Christensen, 9 barrels Amber Ridge, 9 barrels Parson's)

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• 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Judge Family Vineyard 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley

  Group's #6 (my #8) – 96 pts; 2, 2, 2, 2 - dark red violet color; sweet smoke, whole cluster, lavender and sweet herbal nose; black fruit, blackberry palate with smooth texture and lower acidity; medium finish

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• 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Unti Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Group's #7 (my #9) – 98 pts; 1, 0, 3, 1 - very dark red violet color; toasty oak, black fruit, black plum and tar nose; tight, tart black fruit, orange palate with herbal note; shortmedium finish (American oak; 3% Vigonier; highest acidity of the 10 '07 Novys we tasted)

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• 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Napa Valley 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Group's #8 (my #1) – 104 pts; 2, 2, 0, 0 - dark red violet color; tight but intriguing black fruit and tar nose with a touch of green peppercorn; nice, ripe and tasty blackbery, mulberry, berry and tar palate with good texture and balance; medium-plus finish (declassified Page Nord fruit, 70% from young vines and 30% from older vines near the river; Adam's #1 wine of the 10 at the tasting too, this will be a tremendous value at $20 or so on release)

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• 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Garys' Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Group's #9 (my #5) – 106 pts; 1, 0, 1, 1 - opaque dark red violet color; nice floral, black fruit, tar, oak, blackberry nose; tasty, tart blackberry, black fruit and oregano palate with a green core and touch of herb, good acidity; medium-plus finish that shows some unresolved greenness 90+ pts. (40% whole cluster)

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• 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Susan's Hill Vineyard Flawed

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Group's #10 (my #10) – 137 pts; 0, 2, 0, 9 - opaque very dark red violet color; TCA, black fruit nose; black fruit, TCA, sage and oregano palate; short finish (this was from one barrel that was used for a trial of a new filtration company that does cross filtration, and won't be released for sale; ETS testing indicates no high TCA level, but most of us who are sensitive to TCA at this tasting noted TCA type nose and palate--certainly the palate was affected, and the finish was much shorter than any of the other Novy '07s in our tasting)

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• 1979 Château d'Yquem 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Medium orange color; VA, crystalized orange, crystalized lemon, orange marmalade, clementine and kumquat nose; tasty, maturing, tart orange, ripe orange, marmalade palate with good acidity and depth; medium-plus finish

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• 1979 Château Rieussec 79 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Medium dark orange color with gold and red lights; kumquat, VA nose with bitter notes and a touch of artichoke; tart kumquat, pickled artichoke and clementine palate with medium-plus acidity, out of balance; short finish

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• 1978 Quady Winery Vintage Port - Lot 1 91 Points

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County

  Medium brown color with pale meniscus; mature, earthy, tawny port, dried cherry, VA and raisin nose; tasty, maturing, cherry, port, berry and cinnamon palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts.

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