HALCÓN “Alturas” Syrah 2019

(Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino County, California) $35

The two biggest leaps in the quality of California wine over the last decade have been with Syrah and Pinot Noir. Both varieties have gotten stunningly good. Syrah’s advantage is that it generally costs less than Pinot Noir and lots less than Cabernet. So here’s a great Syrah for you—it’s peppery, full of red fruit, and has that savory umami deliciousness that you find in, say, meat juices from a steak that’s just come off the grill. For Rhône wine fans, it’s interesting to note that most of the vines are the “Chave selection” and the wine is co-fermented with a bit of Viognier. The Halcón vineyard sits at 2500 feet overlooking the Anderson Valley of Mendocino and the Pacific Ocean beyond.  It’s owned by Paul and Jackie Gordon who split their time between high tech and real estate to care for the vineyard and make the wines. (13.7% abv)

95 points KM

Available at Vivino