2008 Epoch Syrah Block B

The 2008 Block B, from an eastern-facing rocky slope on Paderewski, emerges from the glass with a wonderfully nuanced, floral bouquet that suggests the presence of white grapes, even though it is 100% Syrah. This is a beautifully pointed, focused wine graced with exquisite tannins and a layered, beautifully articulated finish. It is another first-class effort. The Block B was fermented in new French oak puncheons and spent 22 months in one-year old barrels. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. Epoch is a new project headed by owners Bill and Liz Armstrong. The estate is made up of three major holdings. The first is Paderewski vineyard, which the Armstrongs purchased in 2005 and re-planted with the help of Justin Smith of Saxum, who also serves as consulting oenologist. This 300+ acre holding once belonged to celebrated musician and politician Ignacy Paderewski, one of the early pioneers in Paso Robles. So far, all of the Epoch wines have been made from Paderewski, which has a relatively warm microclimate. More recently, the estate added the 30-acre Catapult Vineyard, a cooler-climate site next to Booker Vineyard and purchased the York Mountain Winery, another historic property in Paso, that is currently undergoing renovations and that will become the estate’s winemaking facility. New vineyards will be planted here as well. Jordan Fiorentini runs the day to day winemaking. The wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled with no fining or filtration. Epoch is among the estates that uses concrete to ferment some of their wines. So far, Epoch has used concrete mostly for Grenache and Mourvedre. The 2009s were aged in French oak for 20-23 months, 30-45% new, depending on the wine. Fiorentini found the 2008s in the cellar when she arrived in 2010. She finished the elevage and made the final blends. The 2009s I tasted suggest her style is a bit more finessed driven, although some of that may be attributable to the vintage. It will be interesting to find out. In 2008 the estate suffered through frost and drought conditions with very little rain, both of which resulted in low yields. The 2009s are the result of a season that was mostly cool, until heat spikes in August caused sugars to rise quickly. The estate brought in all of their fruit before the October 13 downpour. Tel (805) 237-2011. www.epochwines.com

Simply a stunning, full-bore wine, the 2008 Epoch Estate Wines Syrah Block B, 100% Syrah from limestone soils, aged for 22 months in French oak (once-filled), displays blockbuster aromatics of crème de cassis and smoky blackberry fruits, underbrush, graphite, pepper, and chocolate. While ripe and hedonistic, it stays classy and elegant, carrying full bodied power balanced by a beautifully pure, silky texture, perfect balance, and a long, rich, heady, and mineral laced finish. This seamless, beautifully done Syrah should drink well for 8 to 10 years.

(100% syrah) Opaque ruby. Exotic, high-toned aromas of raspberry, blackberry, cola, violet and incense, with an intense mineral quality that gains strength with air. Sappy, palate-staining dark fruit preserve flavors are lifted by a sexy floral pastille quality and are given snap by juicy acidity. Pure and energetic, with excellent finishing clarity and lingering sweetness.