May 2007 Wine Tasting Notes.
2003 Kendall-Jackson Alisos Hills Syrah, Santa Barbara County.
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Inky, opaque ruby-garnet in color, this Syrah opens with medium intensity pepper and pomegranate on the nose. Light barny aromas give way to blueberry with time and aeration. Notes of smoke and coffee are also present. Medium blackberry on the palate is accompanied by light pepper and oak. Smooth but chewy tannins and and nice acidity give dimension to the full body. However, there is a good deal of heat present. A moderately long finish of blackcurrants ends warm and dry. |
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14.4% Alcohol $35.00 Retail (from winery); 233 cases produced |
Powerful and brawny and tight this Syrah still needs time on the shelf and decanting if you can't wait. Youthful, and with a somewhat straightforward palate, this wine has great acidity and should hold up well for another 7 to 10 years. Pair with a big hunk of steak, but go easy on spiciness. |
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| Supplemental/Repeat tasting: None. | ||
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Detail: Production | Producer | Vineyard | Grapes | Vintage
Sourced from clone 877 Syrah grown at Kendall-Jjackson's vineyard in Alisos Canyon, this wine was aged for 19 months in a mixed cooperage of 41% new American and French oak.
Kendall-Jackson’s 12,000+ acre California holdings include vineyards in four counties: Mendocino, Sonoma, Monterey and Santa Barbara. With an estimated 1.7 to 1.8 million cases produced annually, Kendall-Jackson the 13th largest wine producer in the US. The new direction at Kendall-Jackson indicates an attempt to make terroir-driven, (or at least site-designated) wines. To this end, a selection of wines with AVA and even vineyard designation have been produced - including the Highland Estates label.
Kendall-Jackson wines are made by a team of three wine makers: Randy Ullom, Chris Johnson and Mark Theis. The team is headed by Michigan native, Ullom as Winemaster. Chris Johnson oversees production of Kendall-Jackson’s red wines. Mark Theis supervises white wine production for KJ.
For the most part, K-J wines are quite consistent with current trends and standards of style for each variety. Whole cluster pressing and fermenting Chardonnay in oak with liberal use of new French and American oak in aging (sur lie with semi-monthly manual bâtonnage). Other whites are fermented in steel tanks. Reds undergo a cold soak and extended maceration. These wines are then transferred into French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. Individual vineyard lots are kept separate until the final blend and generally released without much significant bottle age. (read more)
Kendall-Jackson's vineyard in Alisos Canyon sits on rolling terrain, east of Highway 101, just southeast of the town of Los Alamos ('The Cottonwoods' in Spanish). This property spans in elevation from 700 to 1100 feet above sea level. The soils of the vineyard, as in the Los Alamos Valley, are generally well-draining and consisting of sandy, gravelly or clay loam. The Los Alamos Valley's intermediate location between the two established Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley appellations makes for an intermediate climate. The temperatures here are on average 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than in the Santa Maria Valley and 10 degrees cooler than in the Santa Ynez Valle and are mitigated by a strong marine influence.
Syrah is an ancient variety proven by DNA analysis (in part at U.C. Davis) to be a native of the northern Rhône region of France. Prior to this evidence, its origin was disputed between the Rhône region and that around the Persian city of Shiraz – hence the two names for the grape. Syrah gives tannic and spicy red wines with significant longevity. Because of its weight, it contributes body and structure to blends with the softer, fruitier Grenache and Mourvèdre. Its thick-skinned, very darkly pigmented grapes give inky, deep colored wines described as violet or nearly black. Syrah is very tannic, rich, chewy and textured and is typified by high alcohol and a spice-over-fruit character. Syrah typically shows black (sometimes white) pepper, licorice, clove, thyme and bay leaf as part of its spice component. The dark fruit typically expressed are blueberries, black currants and blackberries. Syrah may also show cedar or sandalwood notes. (read more)
The 2003 year presented challenges to wine growers all over California in the form of recurring unseasonable weather and resulted in a smaller yield. The growing season started with unusually heavy spring rains, temperate weather in the summer and early autumn heat. Excessive heat affected fruit development for some. Summer cool spells also delayed maturation in other regions. Early autumn rains followed by cooler temperatures delayed harvest for some growers. This resulted in a leaner crop and red wine variety yields 10% lower than in 2002 (according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture in its Preliminary Grape Crush Report). Nevertheless, the fruit was reported to be particularly dense in flavor and expectations were high for the vintage.
Rating
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Color |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Nose |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Palate |
3 points |
(5 points max) |
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Finish |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Tannins |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Acidity |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Alcohol |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Aging potential |
3 points |
(5 points max) |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
(10 points max) |
Cumulative Score: 91
Rating System & Scoring Criteria explained
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