A new discovery for me, and a fabulous one, for with this wine Calix enters the ranks of super-Syrah players. The vineyard is southwest of Sonoma Town, by the Carneros and thus not too hot. Good acidity backs up the black cherry flavors. The wine is balanced, complex and totally delicious.
— S.H.
(12/31/2005)
Made in the Napa cult Cab style, this soft, gentle wine is enormous in cassis, blackberry essence, cherry purée, vanilla and toast flavors that sink deep into the palate and last through a spicy finish. Not for the long haul, so drink now though 2010.
— S.H.
(10/1/2007)
Tastes like one of those long hangtime wines where the grapes got superripe. The result is enormous flavors, stupendous really, of melted chocolate, raspberry and cherry purée, gingerbread, chocolate chip cookie, crème de cassis, licorice; the list goes on and on. Yet the wine is fundamentally dry, with balancing acids and tannins. Drink now.
— S.H.
(9/1/2007)
From a vineyard between St. Helena and Calistoga, this is a good Syrah, but nowhere near as good as the winery’s Sonoma bottling, probably because the location is too hot. The wine is soft and melted, although the fruit and chocolate flavors are delicious.
— S.H.
(12/31/2005)
Shows fine pedigree in the ripeness and finesse of the tannins, which are as pure as velvet. Flavorwise, this Syrah is very ripe, bursting in blackberry, black cherry, pomegranate, licorice and mocha flavors that are almost sweet on the finish. It’s made in the modern Napa style, and not an ager.
— S.H.
(2/1/2009)
Showing a good structure of tannins and acids and ripe flavors of blackberries, cherries, currants, chocolate and cola, this Cab finishes too sweet. It has a sugary taste, like a health food power bar.
— S.H.
(2/1/2009)