Winemaker's Notes
Here is a situation where the variety is in such a cool site that it does not always ripen properly for red wine in every vintage. These are usually sites that give profound red wines yet with a few misses once in a while when the weather is uncooperative. Fortunately, we make Syrah rosé from most of this vineyard, which is where the entire 2011 vintage for Calypso went.
When Otis Holt converted much of his tiny vineyard (originally planted to Bordeaux varieties) to Syrah for us, he took the opportunity to break it into tiny sub– blocks of many different clones. This gives him (a skilled home winemaker) and us a wonderful ‘palette of colors’ to work with. Only the finest parts of this complex vineyard are selected for this wine and the amounts may vary with the vintage character. Essentially all of the selection and harvesting is done personally by Otis. His understanding of practically each plant, his constant re–thinking of the harvesting plan and his desire to provide me with the material I desire makes this a true collaboration.
Judi Scherrer –
Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar – June 2014
Opaque ruby. Smoky, mineral-tinged aromas of dark fruit liqueur, pipe tobacco and white pepper, with a suave floral quality building in the glass. On the palate, deeply pitched, chewy cassis and bitter cherry flavors unfold slowly and show excellent power. Finishes with strong thrust, chewy tannins and lingering mineral and spice notes. Seems younger than it is today, and obviously built to age. “Or give it at least a few hours in a decanter, ” says Scherrer. 91 points. Josh Raynolds
Judi Scherrer –
Vinous – February 2015
The 2010 Syrah Calypso Vineyard is super-expressive. Blue and purplish fruit, smoke, licorice, lavender, black pepper and game are some of the many notes that inform a deep, inky Syrah bursting at the seams with true character and pedigree. The flavors build effortlessly to a deep, powerful finish that is absolutely compelling. Sadly, there is just one barrel to go around. 94 Points. Antonio Galloni