2018 Halcon Vineyards Syrah Alturas - USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands (11/11/2020)
I opened a Halcon wine the other night, and enjoyed it so much that I had to open another one tonight. This time a straight Syrah did the trick, versus a GSM blend on Monday. I swear these wines are at least somewhat inspired by the work of Steve Edmunds. The varietal signature is clear, with black pepper, black fruit and a hint of road tar, but there's an essence hovering over the top that is impossible to peg as Syrah. It's not a grape, it's a place. I don't know the Yorkville Highlands area well enough to be sure it's really that, but it sure seems like a site at elevation - there's a space between the elements that grapes grown at altitude often show to me. It's not a smashed together melange, but a carefully curated scene of living air, water, earth, and the things that grow.