Fife
Fife 2004 Old Yokayo Vineyard Syrah (Mendocino)
- Online Exclusive
- $24
The vineyard, in interior Mendocino, has produced a lush, compelling Syrah in this warm vintage. The fruit is perfectly ripe, bringing cherries and blackberries to the edge of liqueur, while maintaining complete dryness, with no trace of raisins and relatively modest alcohol. Combines weight with elegance to produce an upscale Syrah.
— S.H.
(12/15/2007)
Fife 2004 Reserve Merlot (Spring Mountain)
- $60
This is one of the drier, more structured Merlots from any Napa appellation in recent memory. Far from being a soft, gooey fruit bomb, its marked by big-time tannins, with herb, leather, olive tapenade, cherry and dark unsweetened chocolate flavors. It might strike fruit fans as austere, but true aficionados will recognize a great mountain wine of enormous complexity.
— S.H.
(6/1/2008)
Fife 1997 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Spring Mountain)
- $45
This Napa subappellation is a hotbed for large-bodied, tough-to-read mountain Cabs. Don’t judge this wine so much by its tight, almost sauvage nose, but instead zero in on the fine toast on top of cassis and black plums. Deep and dark right until the very end, with soft but firm tannins.
— W.E.
(11/1/2000)
Fife 1997 Redhead Vineyard Zinfandel (Redwood Valley)
- $24
Achieves a balance and complexity that’s hard to find in many Zins. Great fruit and spice, extracted and chewy, and the tannins are rich and mellow. Concentrated and intense. Great harmony and style.
— S.H.
(5/1/2000)
Fife 1999 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Spring Mountain)
- $45
Re-released at nearly six years of age. One sniff is all you need to know there’s a lot of new, toasted oak here. It’s a big, dark, extracted wine, and also a very tannic one, with a deep core of ripe blackberry and blueberry flavors. Despite its age, it still needs time. Best to let it come around by, say, 2008.
— S.H.
(10/1/2005)
Fife 2001 Max Vineyard Syrah (Napa Valley)
- Online Exclusive
- $32
Rhône specialist Dennis Fife turns to a vineyard between St. Helena and Calistoga for this Syrah, and the warm vintage has yielded a ripe wine. But Fife has complete control, keeping the rich cherry-chocolate flavors while maintaining a balance of acidity, tannins and dryness.
— S.H.
(11/1/2006)
Fife 2003 Redhead Vineyard Zinfandel (Redwood Valley)
- Online Exclusive
- $24
This is the most balanced and enjoyable of Fife’s current crop of Zins, a wholesome, complete wine that captures Zin’s wild side and tames it. It has the sophisticated structure of a Merlot, with Zin’s wild berry, coffee, and spice flavor profile, and is thoroughly dry, without being too alcoholic.
— S.H.
(11/1/2006)
Fife NV 3&4 Max Cuvée Red (Napa Valley)
- $38
This is a combination of 2003 Petite Sirah, as well as Syrah from both 2001 and 2004. Vineyards from Spring Mountain comprise a majority of the blend. The multi-vintage approach works well, for the wine has the softness and bouquet of an older wine, with the fresh, ripe fruit and acidity of a young one. Raspberries, cherries, blueberries, plums and sweet leather…
— S.H.
(12/15/2007)
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