2005 Lucia Syrah Gary's Vineyard Wine Note, Bottle Review Tasting

I have really been into quality California Syrah's the last year. I find the best ones will give you the depp dark rich fruit of a great cabernet but have the approachability (less the tannins) of a young merlot. Lucia was a producer I have wanted to try and I have loved many 2005 vintage Syrah's, so getting to taste this wine and being able to review it was a good experience.

The depth and deepness of the fruit in some of these California Syrah wine bottles is really terrific. For someone like myself who enjoys complexity but loves when a wine can be opened and enjoyed young - California Syrah, including the Lucia Gary's really makes it happen.

I bought some nice cuts of Porterhouse steaks to grill and a Napa Cab really would have and should have been the choice. I was staring at my bottles of Pride, Araujo, Switchback and a few others but it is a Thursday and my wife was feeling a little "under the weather" so I didn't want to waste a bottle that was TOO studly.

I had a few bottles of the 2005 Lucia Gary's Syrah that I had acquired through an auction so I figured I'd see how it would stack up against my bloody steak and see if it could hold up to replacing one of my all time wine and food pairing staples: Steak and Cabernet.

Well - it did. As always, I am typing this from a piece of scribbled white paper where wine notes were taken as I drank it. Probably over 90 minutes, with 45 minutes of it basically eating dinner. Yes - I eat and drink slow when it's something good! lol

On to the review tasting note.

2005 Lucia Syrah Gary's Vineyard

Big aroma of Blueberry, blackberry, coffee grounds and dark mountain fruit. Has the nose of a short term aged high end Napa Cab. Really huge on the nose. The mouthfeel was really rich and lush. The youth of the wine can be felt as the power and freshness hits your palate like a cannon, but it's all good. The palate had tastes of black cherries and berries, vanilla, cream and pepper. The finish had great power and grace of the most complex Syrah I have tasted in a long time.

94 Points (out of 100) - Excellent!

As I wrote the review tasting note on this wine, I was really pleased with what I was tasting. Just terrific stuff and right there with the 2005 Copain Thompson, which I felt was the best 2005 Syrah I have tasted to date.