“I wanted to take different winemaking ideas from my time spent working around the world and distill them into a few of my favorite varietals here in California. This is an intentionally labor-intensive process. My techniques have no other purpose than to build complexity, depth, and enjoyment into the wines.” - Robin Akhurst
2023 Apsara Syrah, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County
Sensory Notes
Deep, inky purple in the glass, this Syrah opens with generous aromatics of black pepper, fig, and ripe plum layered over dark berry fruit. Notes of vanilla and toasted coconut frame the nose, while hints of sage add lift and complexity.
On the palate, rich black fruit — plum, black currant, and dark cherry — unfolds alongside cedar and subtle oak spice. Savory tones of cracked black pepper, cured meat, and crushed black olive add depth and structure, bringing balance to the wine’s ripeness and concentration.
Winemaker’s Notes
Following multiple cool mornings that brought the cold ocean fog into the vineyard, the grapes were hand harvested and trucked to the winery. 80% of the fruit was hand sorted and destemmed and the remaining 20% was sorted but left as whole clusters. The whole cluster fruit was then foot trod to gently crush the grapes allowing a small amount of the juice to be released. The whole cluster and destemmed fruit was then layered into an open top tank and left to soak at ambient temperatures.
After three days, natural fermentation started and the tank was punched down twice a day. The slow gentle fermentation lasted for about 10 days after which the tank was drained and pressed to barrel. 30% of the oak was new French Tonnellerie Tremeaux barrels and the remaining barrels were once-used French oak Bel Air barrels. The wine was then left unsulphured to encourage natural malolactic fermentation. Once started the malolactic fermentation took about two months to complete, after which the barrels were racked to tank, the heavy solids were removed, and then the wine was barreled down again. We allowed the barrels to mature in our caves before we racked the wine once again to tank, gently filtered, and then bottled.
Specs
Varietal Composition: 100% Syrah
AVA: Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County
Aging: 8 Months in 30% New French oak and 70% once-used French oak
Harvest Date: October 25, 2023
Bottling Date: July 20, 2024
Alcohol: 14.9%
pH: 3.7
Production: 100 cases
What’s Included
3-bottles:
3x - 2023 Apsara Syrah, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County
Case:
12x 2023 Apsara Syrah, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County
The name Apsara comes from the Sanskrit word for an angelic dancer whose elegant movements reflect the key elements in our wine: Balance, Purity, and Expression.
Apsara Cellars has never been the sole product of a draw-by-numbers idea of winemaking. For two reasons, 1) Robin is dyslexic and therefore working with numbers and within the rules doesn’t come naturally and 2), there is only one opportunity a year to make great wine, so you better make it good! Sourcing grapes from some of Sonoma Valley’s greatest vineyards helps us to create wines that show a focused purity of flavor, chiseled out with a balance of fruit, tannins, and acidity.
3% of our net profit goes to The Union of Concerned Scientists. We believe in research, learning, and using data-driven evidence to support a practice, whether that is in business or at the winery. The UCS works to help maximize clean energy, addressing the consequences of global warming, fighting for healthy food and farms, and defending the role of science in our democracy. With every bottle of wine you buy you help make the world a safer and healthier planet.
Apsara Cellars was created out of a desire to stay connected to the artistry of winemaking. This project is driven by hard work, love, passion, and generous support from our family and friends.
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Reporting on the 2023 Apsara Syrah: this was a particularly interesting Labrat experience. We had lots of notice that it was coming (Thursday), so lots of time to plan. With bahwm recuperating from oral surgery last Monday, it’s been necessary to think “soft diet”, so I planned broiled salmon with a spice/maple syrup glaze for our Saturday dinner, thinking that would be a nice counterpoint for the Syrah. Then Friday afternoon, I had the idea that my famous butternut squash soup with lots of fresh ginger on the menu for that evening might work nicely, so we decided to drink half of the wine with that, and save half for Saturday. On the first pour, I got some aromas of dark fruits, but my initial sensation was that the mouthfeel was kind of syrupy, a very unusual feeling, and there was a strong sense of heat. I checked the label, and sure enough: 14.9%. Further tasting revealed a wine that could stand up on its own, but nothing extraordinary. Saturday night was a different story. It may be that some air was just what the wine needed, because it had opened up beautifully. As expected, the salmon was a good pairing, helping to bring out all the wine had to offer: rich spiciness, dark fruit flavors, and a nice balance, but none of the heat sensation experienced the previous evening. All in all, I’m glad we gave the wine a second chance to show what it could deliver, and I’m convinced that more than anything, it really needed some air. I’d love a chance to try another bottle, depending on the price.
How much more are you saving by buying 4 bottles?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2023 Apsara Cellars Syrah - $60 = 23.07%
This past Wednesday I received the coveted Lab Rat email. And, our regular UPS guy showed up earlier Thursday than he has been lately. I was fine with that! Our wine didn’t have a chance to get too warm! When I opened the box, I found a bottle of 2023 Apsara Sonoma Mountain Syrah 14.9% abv. Only 100 cases of this wine were produced! Speak of small batch! Wow!
This is a winery that neither ddeuddeg nor I are familiar with. So, we were eager to try it. Unfortunately, I had some oral surgery on Monday and was on a soft foods diet. Throughout the week we found some wonderful soup recipes that we blitzed in our Vitamix to get them to a wonderfully smooth consistency. ddeuddeg decided to make his Butternut Squash soup with a little bit of a kick from the ginger on Friday to go with this Syrah. Now, this is where things get tricky. Bear with me. This wine is multi-faceted and a bit of a chameleon!
Upon opening, I immediately poured us each a tasting portion. I wanted to make sure that we tasted it before we tasted the soup. This wine was a beautiful deep, dark burgundy in color. It had a very pleasant fruity nose with plenty of notes of dark berries and black pepper. In for the coveted first taste. I mentioned before that this wine was 14.9% alcohol. It seemed higher in alcohol content than that and was very bitey and, I’m afraid not very pleasant. Time for more swirling. This wine needed some air. Second taste came with more fruit forward and some berry flavors with some jamminess. OK. Time to try it with the soup. Unfortunately, this soup did not pair well with this wine. Stay with me. ddeuddeg and I decided to save half of the bottle in a 375 bottle stored in the fridge for Saturday. We continued to enjoy our soup, hoping for a change in the wine in our glasses with a bit of air. I took my wine glass into the living room and kept trying small sips. It actually seemed to have faded. After about a half hour more, so maybe an hour after opening, I decided to try it with cheddar cheese potato chips. Whoa! All of a sudden, this wine was REALLY good! I think it needed the fat from the chips and the cheddar to make it shine! I know. This is not our usual wine pairing! Who knew?
Saturday, we still had half of a bottle to go. I took the bottle out of the fridge about 30 minutes before dinner was to be served. Our dinner consisted of Maple-Crusted Broiled Salmon, caramelized leeks with garlic and sautéed zucchini, and orzo with Parmesan cheese. This was the first real solid meal that I had since last Sunday! Scrambled eggs don’t count! Upon first taste, this was an entirely different wine! It was really good! The dark fruit shined and the flavors exploded. It was a very pleasant wine. The alcohol and acidity had become much more balanced and enjoyable. It seems like this wine really needed air. Perhaps we should have opened it sooner on Day 1 to allow it to breathe or perhaps we should have decanted it. We usually like to allow the wine to do its own thing and open up naturally over the course of dinner and the evening. We usually don’t know what Day 2 is for a wine! This time, I’m really glad that we waited for Day 2! Thank you for your patience in reading our experience of this wine. At the Casemates price, this is a really good deal! Just make sure that you decant it! Patience has its rewards!
2023 Apsara Syrah, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County
Sensory Notes
Winemaker’s Notes
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$600.00/Case for 2023 Apsara Syrah, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County at Apsara Cellars
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jun 29 - Tuesday, Jun 30
2023 Apsara Cellars Syrah
3 bottles for $64.99 $21.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Reporting on the 2023 Apsara Syrah: this was a particularly interesting Labrat experience. We had lots of notice that it was coming (Thursday), so lots of time to plan. With bahwm recuperating from oral surgery last Monday, it’s been necessary to think “soft diet”, so I planned broiled salmon with a spice/maple syrup glaze for our Saturday dinner, thinking that would be a nice counterpoint for the Syrah. Then Friday afternoon, I had the idea that my famous butternut squash soup with lots of fresh ginger on the menu for that evening might work nicely, so we decided to drink half of the wine with that, and save half for Saturday. On the first pour, I got some aromas of dark fruits, but my initial sensation was that the mouthfeel was kind of syrupy, a very unusual feeling, and there was a strong sense of heat. I checked the label, and sure enough: 14.9%. Further tasting revealed a wine that could stand up on its own, but nothing extraordinary. Saturday night was a different story. It may be that some air was just what the wine needed, because it had opened up beautifully. As expected, the salmon was a good pairing, helping to bring out all the wine had to offer: rich spiciness, dark fruit flavors, and a nice balance, but none of the heat sensation experienced the previous evening. All in all, I’m glad we gave the wine a second chance to show what it could deliver, and I’m convinced that more than anything, it really needed some air. I’d love a chance to try another bottle, depending on the price.
How much more are you saving by buying 4 bottles?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2023 Apsara Cellars Syrah - $60 = 23.07%
This past Wednesday I received the coveted Lab Rat email. And, our regular UPS guy showed up earlier Thursday than he has been lately. I was fine with that! Our wine didn’t have a chance to get too warm! When I opened the box, I found a bottle of 2023 Apsara Sonoma Mountain Syrah 14.9% abv. Only 100 cases of this wine were produced! Speak of small batch! Wow!
This is a winery that neither ddeuddeg nor I are familiar with. So, we were eager to try it. Unfortunately, I had some oral surgery on Monday and was on a soft foods diet. Throughout the week we found some wonderful soup recipes that we blitzed in our Vitamix to get them to a wonderfully smooth consistency. ddeuddeg decided to make his Butternut Squash soup with a little bit of a kick from the ginger on Friday to go with this Syrah. Now, this is where things get tricky. Bear with me. This wine is multi-faceted and a bit of a chameleon!
Upon opening, I immediately poured us each a tasting portion. I wanted to make sure that we tasted it before we tasted the soup. This wine was a beautiful deep, dark burgundy in color. It had a very pleasant fruity nose with plenty of notes of dark berries and black pepper. In for the coveted first taste. I mentioned before that this wine was 14.9% alcohol. It seemed higher in alcohol content than that and was very bitey and, I’m afraid not very pleasant. Time for more swirling. This wine needed some air. Second taste came with more fruit forward and some berry flavors with some jamminess. OK. Time to try it with the soup. Unfortunately, this soup did not pair well with this wine. Stay with me. ddeuddeg and I decided to save half of the bottle in a 375 bottle stored in the fridge for Saturday. We continued to enjoy our soup, hoping for a change in the wine in our glasses with a bit of air. I took my wine glass into the living room and kept trying small sips. It actually seemed to have faded. After about a half hour more, so maybe an hour after opening, I decided to try it with cheddar cheese potato chips. Whoa! All of a sudden, this wine was REALLY good! I think it needed the fat from the chips and the cheddar to make it shine! I know. This is not our usual wine pairing! Who knew?
Saturday, we still had half of a bottle to go. I took the bottle out of the fridge about 30 minutes before dinner was to be served. Our dinner consisted of Maple-Crusted Broiled Salmon, caramelized leeks with garlic and sautéed zucchini, and orzo with Parmesan cheese. This was the first real solid meal that I had since last Sunday! Scrambled eggs don’t count! Upon first taste, this was an entirely different wine! It was really good! The dark fruit shined and the flavors exploded. It was a very pleasant wine. The alcohol and acidity had become much more balanced and enjoyable. It seems like this wine really needed air. Perhaps we should have opened it sooner on Day 1 to allow it to breathe or perhaps we should have decanted it. We usually like to allow the wine to do its own thing and open up naturally over the course of dinner and the evening. We usually don’t know what Day 2 is for a wine! This time, I’m really glad that we waited for Day 2! Thank you for your patience in reading our experience of this wine. At the Casemates price, this is a really good deal! Just make sure that you decant it! Patience has its rewards!