2008 Big Basin Syrah Coastview Vineyard

Deep violet color. A sexy, complex bouquet shows an array of black and blue fruits, sandalwood, licorice and candied violet. Sweet, palate-staining blueberry and cherry-cola flavors are lifted by gentle acidity and show a seamless texture. Ripe and fleshy but vibrant, with excellent finishing clarity and resonating spiciness. This wine's blend of power and energy is impressive.

The 2008 Syrah Coastview Vineyard is a plump, juicy wine loaded with dark black and blue fruit. Tar, licorice and violets develop in the glass, leading to a ripe, seductive finish. The estate chose eight of its best barrels from this hillside vineyard for the final blend. The wine was aged for 27 months in 62% new oak barrels.

The 2008 Syrah Coastview Vineyard is a plump, juicy wine loaded with dark black and blue fruit. Tar, licorice and violets develop in the glass, leading to a ripe, seductive finish. Brown chose eight of his best barrels from this hillside vineyard for the final blend. The wine was aged for 27 months in 62% new oak barrels. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. Bradley Brown crafts gorgeous artisan wines from his vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey County. The wines are fermented with ambient yeasts, see no racking and are bottled unfined and unfiltered. The Pinots are aged in 50% new medium toast barrels, while some of the Syrah and Syrah-based blends see higher amounts of new wood. Brown is gradually moving towards reducing toast levels and amounts of new oak. The 2008s are big, rich wines marked by the low yields of the year that are the result of the spring frost. Vintage 2009 was a flashier, more overt year until a heavy rainstorm hit on October 13. The 2009s generally are lower in alcohol than the 2008s. As good as these wines are – and they are often outstanding – my feeling is that Brown has just scratched the surface of his potential. Tel. (831) 621-8028; www.bigbasinvineyards.com