Community Tasting Note

• Why Yes wrote: 93 points

  April 4, 2012 - 93+
  
  100% Syrah. Tasted at San Diego Family Winemakers event. First time tasting at an this event and was surprised by how many 'good' wines were being poured there. Not surprised by how few 'great' wines were being poured there. This was 1 of the 2 'great' wines I tasted that day.
  
  Seems to be some confusion within these notes. To be clear, there are 2 Westerhold Syrahs from 2008. A standard release and a reserve. This note is for the reserve which was left in barrel for 3 years!!! Poured by John Westerhold himself.
  
  Dark purple in the glass. Thick legs after swirling showing obvious heft and concentration. You can smell this wine from almost an arm's length away. The nose if very, very lifted with notes of white flowers and freshly cracked pepper, bright and juicy raspberry and blueberry fruits along with chocolate and mocha. In the mouth the palate mimics the nose with an almost bottomless well of concentration. Great wine that still needs a bit of time to come together and figure itself out (hence the '+' in my score). John told me this was bottled just a few weeks ago so that is not surprising.
  
  The other great wine I tasted was the 2008 Argot Syrah (also from Bennett Valley) which I preferred on this particular day. Both wines were great and there was a very obvious connection of terroir between the two. I think I might start keeping a closer eye on Bennett Valley Syrah.

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