2010 Syrah Russian River Valley

The 2010 Syrah is rich, explosive and incredibly beautiful. Blackberries, cassis, graphite, savory herbs, white flowers and black pepper all emerge from this drop-dead gorgeous wine. More exotic notes of orange peel, spices, nutmeg, cloves and myriad of aromas and flavors take shape in the glass over time. Simply put, this is a fabulous, drop-dead gorgeous wine from DuMol. The 2010 can be enjoyed today, but it has more than enough stuffing to drink well for a number of years. In 2010, the Jack Robert’s Run was declassified to the straight Russian River Syrah bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. Winemaker Andy Smith describes 2009 as a “sweet, forward vintage,” while 2011 is more “dynamic and commercial.” Smith reserves his highest praise for 2010, which he calls his favorite among the three current vintages. In 2011, Smith bulked out 20% of his Pinot Noirs, including the entire production of the Eoin. All the 2011 Pinots came in before the rains. Smith used whole clusters only for the Aidan, as botrytis was an issue in all the other Pinot vineyards. The Charles Heintz Chardonnay came in after the rains. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to taste the 2011 Syrahs, as the final blends had not yet been put together at the time of this tasting. In broad terms, the DuMol Chardonnays are all fermented and aged in barrel, with no lees stirring. Some of the wines are aged in slightly larger 300-liter barrels, and at times the malolactic fermentations are partly blocked, which results in wines that are texturally rich but also full of energy, a combination that is rare and hard to achieve. The single-vineyard Pinots spend 14-15 months in barrel on their fine lees, while the Syrahs get a few more months in oak. At their best, the Pinots and Syrahs are compelling. Tel. (925) 254-8922

Gorgeously perfumed and complex, the 2010 DuMOL Syrah Russian River Valley is a classic cool-climate California Syrah that does everything right. Possessing a deep ruby/purple color to go with notions of blackberries, violets, cracked pepper, lavender, and hints of game, it flows onto the palate with a medium to full-bodied, voluptuous texture, solid concentration, and chewy, yet ripe tannin that frame the finish beautifully. Impressive all around, it will shine for 8-10 years, possibly longer.