87
points
Harrison Clarke 2007 Cuvée Charlotte Syrah (Santa Ynez Valley)
-
$52
Superfruity and jammy, with massive raspberry, cherry, blackberry and dark chocolate flavors, accented with black pepper. The texture is soft and voluptuous. This Syrah is a bit direct now, with its primary fruit and oak overlay, and it’s a little hot, with an official alcohol reading of 15.5%.
— S.H.
(3/1/2011)
85
points
Harrison Clarke 2005 Grenache (Santa Ynez Valley)
-
$27
This is an extraordinarily lush and complex Syrah, but I have one major objection. From the Ballard Canyon section of the valley, it has 4% Syrah, and a small percentage of new oak that adds a smoky, caramelly richness to the blackberry, cherry and raspberry fruit flavors. My problem is the sweetness. It tastes like there’s residual sugar, pushing the wine beyond…
— S.H.
(12/1/2007)