2003 Leal Vineyards "Threesome", San Benito County
Yes siree, San Benito County. This a Rhone Style blend of Syrah (87%), Grenache (9%) and Mourvedre (4%). The label states this is unfiltered. It was decanted for ~90 minutes and at first blush I thought I detected just the slightest hint of TCA, but finally determined that it was not corked. It threw considerable sediment for such a young wine.
Red licorice, lavender, game and dark fruit dominate with some smoke on the follow. Medium to full bodied and definitely mouth coating with grainy tannins and decent acidity. The wine did exhibit more ripeness and didn't seem to carry the 14.8% abv. as well as my previous bottle tasted about a year ago. I've previously tasted Leal's Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Threesome and was impressed by all of them and thought they offered solid QPR at $25. The significant tannins suggest that this wine could stand some time in the cellar, but the ripeness and heat exhibited last evening make me less confident in this prediction than I was based upon previous bottles. Go figure.
Redwinger