The 2022 North Coast Syrah is an incredibly aromatic and textural expression of this grape, medium weight with a lovely balance of fruit and savory, which the best examples of this Rhone varietal always showcase. Sourced from two organically farmed vineyards, one high atop Mendocino Ridge at 2,200 feet above sea level and one in the heart of the Russian River Valley, both are dry farmed.
Vineyards
70% Perli Vineyard, Mendocino Ridge. Organically farmed by hand, Dry-farmed, no-till, Fractured sandstone, loam soils, 2,200-foot elevation, 11 miles from the Pacific Ocean.
30% Saint Marks, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast. Organically farmed by hand, No-spray vineyard, dry-farmed, Goldridge Sandy Loam soils, 150 feet above sea level.
Winemaking
Hand-sorted directly into fermenter, 100% whole cluster, Native primary fermentation, natural malolactic conversion, aged 10 months in neutral French oak, bottled unfined, filtered for stability
Handcrafted, extraordinary, minimal-intervention wines for those who seek the best for themselves and their communities.
Darling Wines began in 2017 with two barrels of Syrah. Up to this point, Tom had worked just one harvest and was beginning his second when he and Ashley came across a listing of certified organic, cool-climate Syrah in the Petaluma Gap. After visiting the site, they decided to take a chance and figured at the very least they would have some decent home wine to send to family and friends for the holidays. This first wine, the 2017 McEvoy Ranch Syrah, sold out in mere months and ended up on the One-Star Michelin restaurant, Bouchon Bistro, in the Napa Valley, owned by the famed Thomas Keller. The two were thrilled, to say the least, and dove head first into this new endeavor.
Today, Darling Wines produces Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Chardonnay sourced from coastal vineyards in western Sonoma County, Marin County, Anderson Valley, and Mendocino Ridge. The goal is to produce wines with character and energy that showcase purity and site through transparent winemaking. With this goal in mind there is minimal handling from grape to bottle, restrained use of sulphur; in most cases, no synthetic additives or perfecting agents, fining or filtration, in an attempt to produce the most honest wine possible.
This is one of the absolute best Syrahs I’ve ever tasted and I’m ordering a case.
No seriously. Let me start again. I got the email to expect the Lab Rat bottle end of last week and was happy to see a Syrah. Thinking of a food pairing - good lamb is not generally available locally but really good beef is, and I had a nice bone-in rib steak handy. And I like smoky meats with Syrah.
I waited until Monday to give the wine a chance to relax and threw the steak on the smoker low and slow for a reverse sear (California red oak, as we do here). I also whipped up some black garlic deviled eggs on a whim, which I’ll tell you about later if you are interested.
I already generally like North Coast Syrahs. They tend to be lighter and brighter than the typical warm climate Syrahs - that I also like, and used to make. But this is different. It’s bright, it’s refreshing, and it’s got some serious flavor. Like cherries and spice and just a little pepper. Almost reminds me of a Mexican jamaica or a less-spicy Peruvian chicha morada.
I circled back and read the label and saw it. 11.7%. Is that actually the ABV? I’ve never had a Syrah under 13% and if I did I would expect it to taste savagely underripe. But instead the acid is just right, and no green notes I could detect. That they finished it in neutral oak makes perfect sense. (In fact I would not be surprised to learn that some Viognier skins slipped in here, though I don’t see that they make a Viognier.)
So please forgive the hard sell. I’ve never actually bought a case here! And you should too. But this will be my first as soon as I figure out which article of clothing my wallet is hiding in.
ps almost forgot, this Syrah was in fact fantastic with the steak, and also the deviled eggs.
pps I checked their website and all of their wines are sub-12%. Hokey smokes Bullwinkle! I’m going to be tripping over towards Sonoma in a couple weeks, I think I need to drop in…
@eljefetwisted Wind Gap also produced a bunch of Syrah with sub-12% alcohol. They’re great, but Pax ended that label a few years back.
You’re making me want wine I have nowhere to put! (Maybe next to the 3.5 cases I got from you last fall that I had nowhere to put?)
2022 Darling Syrah, North Coast
Tasting Notes
Vineyards
Winemaking
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $432/case MSRP
About The Winery
A Message From Darling Wines
Available States
AZ, 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, May 19 - Tuesday, May 20
11.7? Unheard of!
@losthighwayz I know, right?!
I’m just going to cut straight to the TL;DR.
This is one of the absolute best Syrahs I’ve ever tasted and I’m ordering a case.
No seriously. Let me start again. I got the email to expect the Lab Rat bottle end of last week and was happy to see a Syrah. Thinking of a food pairing - good lamb is not generally available locally but really good beef is, and I had a nice bone-in rib steak handy. And I like smoky meats with Syrah.
I waited until Monday to give the wine a chance to relax and threw the steak on the smoker low and slow for a reverse sear (California red oak, as we do here). I also whipped up some black garlic deviled eggs on a whim, which I’ll tell you about later if you are interested.
I already generally like North Coast Syrahs. They tend to be lighter and brighter than the typical warm climate Syrahs - that I also like, and used to make. But this is different. It’s bright, it’s refreshing, and it’s got some serious flavor. Like cherries and spice and just a little pepper. Almost reminds me of a Mexican jamaica or a less-spicy Peruvian chicha morada.
I circled back and read the label and saw it. 11.7%. Is that actually the ABV? I’ve never had a Syrah under 13% and if I did I would expect it to taste savagely underripe. But instead the acid is just right, and no green notes I could detect. That they finished it in neutral oak makes perfect sense. (In fact I would not be surprised to learn that some Viognier skins slipped in here, though I don’t see that they make a Viognier.)
So please forgive the hard sell. I’ve never actually bought a case here! And you should too. But this will be my first as soon as I figure out which article of clothing my wallet is hiding in.
ps almost forgot, this Syrah was in fact fantastic with the steak, and also the deviled eggs.
pps I checked their website and all of their wines are sub-12%. Hokey smokes Bullwinkle! I’m going to be tripping over towards Sonoma in a couple weeks, I think I need to drop in…
@eljefetwisted Wind Gap also produced a bunch of Syrah with sub-12% alcohol. They’re great, but Pax ended that label a few years back.
You’re making me want wine I have nowhere to put! (Maybe next to the 3.5 cases I got from you last fall that I had nowhere to put?)
@eljefetwisted that is quite the hard sell from the person who makes my wife’s favorite red wine (The Spaniard)!
I’ve never done this before…
/giphy wayward-economic-drum
/giphy bumpy-versed-eye
In for a case