Christopher Tynan Wines

Judge Family Vineyard Syrah

9.36 ratings
9.34 pro ratings
Bennett Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA
Syrah
Lamb
Top Notes For
Jay Kline

Popped and poured. At this stage the 2015 Judge Family Syrah pours an opaque, ruby color with some obvious staining of the tears. On the nose, clean and youthful with developing vinosity. Stewed red and blue fruits, dark brambles, purple flowers, bacon fat, dry caked earth, stale potpourri, rotondun, and cigar box. On the palate, the wine is dry and all of the notes from the nose are confirmed and accompanied by dark bramble fruit with some chocolate and smoked meat. Tannins are medium+, acid is medium+…and so is alcohol. The finish is long and tart…but more like a SweetTart. This is a very sexy wine with everything in the right places and the moves to match.

Popped and poured. At this stage the 2015 Judge Family Syrah pours an opaque, ruby color with some obvious staining of the tears. On the nose, clean and youthful with developing vinosity. Stewed red and blue fruits, dark brambles, purple flowers, bacon fat, dry caked earth, stale potpourri, rotondun, and cigar box. On the palate, the wine is dry and all of the notes from the nose are confirmed and accompanied by dark bramble fruit with some chocolate and smoked meat. Tannins are medium+, acid is medium+…and so is alcohol. The finish is long and tart…but more like a SweetTart. This is a very sexy wine with everything in the right places and the moves to match.

Jul 29th, 2022
Jay Kline

Decanted for three hours and then transferred back to the bottle so we could more easily transport to a friend’s place. Consumed over the next several hours. I gotta say, this was magnificent and really blurs the lines between northern Rhône and California Syrah. Glass-staining purple with a powerful bouquet of blue fruits, bacon fat, lavender, smoke and some baking spice. On the palate, it was beautifully ripened blue and red fruits with olive loaf mortadella. One of the most distinctive characteristics however was the unique texture...like the softest corduroy imaginable: tactile yet velvety. Hard to explain but it is awesome. Tannins are very present but not overly obtrusive; a bit like State Troopers at a large sporting event; stern but fair. There’s good acid and the finish is long and makes me want to smack my tongue on the roof of my mouth. What a delicious new world Syrah with a very bright future ahead. Drink now with an extended decant or hold. I expect this will drink very well for decades to come.

Decanted for three hours and then transferred back to the bottle so we could more easily transport to a friend’s place. Consumed over the next several hours. I gotta say, this was magnificent and really blurs the lines between northern Rhône and California Syrah. Glass-staining purple with a powerful bouquet of blue fruits, bacon fat, lavender, smoke and some baking spice. On the palate, it was beautifully ripened blue and red fruits with olive loaf mortadella. One of the most distinctive characteristics however was the unique texture...like the softest corduroy imaginable: tactile yet velvety. Hard to explain but it is awesome. Tannins are very present but not overly obtrusive; a bit like State Troopers at a large sporting event; stern but fair. There’s good acid and the finish is long and makes me want to smack my tongue on the roof of my mouth. What a delicious new world Syrah with a very bright future ahead. Drink now with an extended decant or hold. I expect this will drink very well for decades to come.

Nov 4th, 2019
Alfonso Mora

that nose tho

that nose tho

Feb 15th, 2018
Stephen Mathews

Stephen had this 4 years ago

Stephen had this 4 years ago

Nov 26th, 2020
Andrew Holloway

Andrew had this 7 years ago

Andrew had this 7 years ago

Feb 19th, 2018
Dave Weber

Dave had this 6 years ago

Dave had this 6 years ago

Nov 22nd, 2018