Kinton Vineyards
Syrah
Santa Barbara County
Sta. Maria, California, U.S.A.
2004
14.3%
$13.39 -- Twin Liquors, Bee Cave, TX
Color: Beautiful, dark ruby
Nose: Blueberry, petrol, cherry,
Body: Medium to full
Front: Cherry, lime
Middle: Orange peel, plum, apple
Back: Coffee grounds, firm tannins
Burns clean?: Mostly
Cap: Cork
This has much of the style of Australian syrahs: big, bold, fruity, but dark and multilayered notwithstanding. I like this style, especially on a cold night and with old-school cooking. Some might find it too oaky, but it's getting reasonably old at this point, and I found the balance of fruit, acid, and secondary flavors pretty delightful. It's neither the smoothest nor the biggest Syrah out there; in the midpalate it backs off, a little, but I like the acidic fruit that you can taste when it does, so it doesn't bother me much, and the alcohol is reasonably under control.
