A few really quick thoughts on a bottles over the last week/ten days. Haven’t had time for detailed notes on these.
2020 Bucklin Old Hill Ranch Zinfandel ‘Bambino’ (Sonoma, CA)
The old vines Old Hill needs time. This is an easier preview. It’s still the same dark berries and dusty trail, but less tannic. Enjoyable now while waiting for the big boy.
2019 Joy Fantastic (Holus Bolus) Syrah (Santa Rita Hills, CA)
A little reductive at first (hello Syrah!), but then meaty and even a bit feral along with the expected dark fruit. Pretty fair tannic bite on the finish. Feels like something that could evolve for a long time but was my only bottle.
2019 Halcon Vineyards Syrah ‘Alturas’ (Yorkville Highlands, CA)
The 2018 was so approachable. This one has claws. I thought from my first bottle three years ago that it would be about time to check in, but one quick belly rub and I ended up bleeding from the scratches. Lay this down for a long sleep.
2019 Montenidoli Rosso Montenidoli Toscana IGT
Juicy, ripe red cherries, a little hit of rosemary, and moderate acid structure. Picked up a touch of soy sauce on the finish, suggesting a little bit of extreme ripeness, but it was still easy to gulp this down with pasta.
2019 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
Interesting wine, as it definitely nods to the riper style, and it’s not short on oak. That said it maintains an underlying structure and is not cloying. If I had a couple more bottles, I might try aging them for 5-7 years to see where they go.