Phelps Syrah with BBQ Ribs Dinner
Linda prepared BBQ ribs and I pulled from the cellar this aged Syrah from one of our favorite producers for a food/wine pairing.
This is from Joseph Phelps, primarily known for ultra-premium Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux varietal blends.
Our Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Winery Tasting, a private tasting at the spectacular Joseph Phelps Vineyards and Winery hospitality center, was a highlight of our Pour Boys 2017 Sonoma/Napa Wine Experience.
I acquired this label at auction a while back and was delighted to find this buried in our wine cellar, a label we’ve never had, so we were eager to try this, ideally paired with one of favorite pairings.
According to the Joseph Phelps website, this label is only available exclusively to Phelps Preferred wine club members.
Here is the Wine Bid Auction profile of Joseph Phelps Vineyards
“Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned winery based in St. Helena. It was founded in 1973 when Joseph Phelps, a building contractor from Colorado, arrived in Napa Valley to build wineries. He soon decided to make his own wine and purchased a former cattle ranch near St. Helena. Phelps Vineyards now owns or leases 560 acres of vineyards in Napa Valley and the Sonoma Coast. The estate owns choice properties in St. Helena, Stags Leap, Oakville, Rutherford, South Napa Valley and Oak Knoll. Phelps is best known for Insignia, its flagship Napa Valley blend of red Bordeaux varieties first produced in 1974. Awarded Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year” in 2005, Insignia is widely regarded as a qualitative benchmark for California winemaking. Besides Cabernet Sauvignon and small amounts of Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec, Phelps also grows Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Scheurebe. The estate produces 50,000 cases annually from Napa Valley and an additional 15,000 cases from the Sonoma Coast.”
Joseph Phelps Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Syrah 2012
This is a blend of 94% Syrah and 6% estate co-fermented Viognier, the 2012 Syrah was aged 18 months in 41% new and 59% neutral French oak. A total of 900 cases were produced.
This was rated 90-93 points by Robert Parker, 90-92 points by Antonio Galloni (Vinous), and 91 points by Wine Spectator
Winemaker Notes - “The 2012 Syrah is filled with aromatic ripe raspberry, fresh thyme, dried sage, cigar box and subtle hints of violet. Black cherry, dark plum and pepper spice flavors mingle together in harmony for a long, lingering velvety finish.”
Antonio Galloni (Vinous) notes “There is plenty of potential in this plush, full-bodied Syrah. As always, the straight Syrah is a bit chunkier than the Hyde bottling, but that is more of an observation than a critique.” This indicates there is a straight Syrah bottling out there somewhere, versus this blend which we acquired in the after-market (auction).
This was dark opaque purple colored, full bodied, dense, concentrated but subdued and smooth blackberry and black currant fruit with notes of black tea, spice, licorice, smoke, pepper, leather and roasted meats, hints of camphor. The subtlety of this might indicate that at a dozen years, this is past its prime and the fruits have started to diminish a bit giving way to non-fruit flavors. We won’t know having never tasted this release earlier in its aging life.
RM 91 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1905659
https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/1905659
https://www.josephphelps.com/
