2014 Wilde Farm Syrah Cardiac Hill Vineyard

I liked the reds much more than the single white. Starting out and coming from a steep, cool-climate site in the Bennett Valley in Sonoma, the 2014 Syrah Cardiac Hill Vineyard wasn’t destemmed and cofermented with a small amount of Viognier. Its medium ruby color is followed by a Saint Joseph-like perfume of passion fruits, violets, cracked pepper, bay leaf and hints of game. With medium-bodied richness, juicy acidity, fine tannin and a good finish, it’s an elegant, lightly textured cool-climate Syrah to drink over the coming 7-8 years. While falling outside the region of this report, I was able to taste these latest releases from Wilde Farm, and opted to include them here. This is a collaboration between owner Loren Grossman and winemaker Pax Mahle, and these wines are pretty, cool-climate wines from California that shine for their complexity and nuance much more than their power or texture.