Winemaker's Notes
Around 1980, I was introduced to Syrah in the form of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie by Andre Tchelistcheff, who consulted at the winery I was working at for about 5 years. The idea was to give a frame of reference and inspiration to the young staff there for our work with their Petite Sirah. Several years later, my good friend Bill Mitchell shared many bottles of great northern Rhone wines and the hook was permanently set. In the early 1990’s I obtained plant material and developed the Syrah program at my then employer. I have been making Syrah ever since either as single-varietal bottlings or as multi-varietal blends. This bottling is drawn from Calypso and Lolita vineyards, combined in the proportions that balance each other and shine most brightly.
The aromas of new potting soil, dark fruits, sandalwood, blue fruits and a tad of black pepper give way to a nice savory entry, mouth-watering uplift that occurs surprisingly early. That uplift continues on to a delightful black pepper finish that morphs into rooibos tea at the end.
Judi Scherrer –
Vinous – June 2023
The 2018 Syrah (Russian River Valley)is a beautiful wine. Fresh and vibrant, with gorgeous supporting structure, the 2018 has so much to offer. A rush of blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and licorice make a strong opening statement. I especially admire the energy of this mid-weight, wonderfully articulate Syrah. In 2018, both the Russian River and the Sasha Syrahs are bolstered by the inclusion of the lots that would have otherwise gone into the Calypso Syrah, a wine Fred Scherrer only bottles when he thinks those lots are materially different from the rest of his production. 93 Points – Antonio Galloni