Dark, staining but clear, tiny clear edges running to garnet.  Incredible nose  BLAMMO’s you with gigantic dark cherry fruit, fresh rubber, sweet, round intensity, and a touch of AL all polished off with generous oak.  Just a classic syrah bouquet and leaves you dying to taste it.

This is a really nice Syrah!  Don’t mean to sound surprised, but… they have the whole downtown tasting room thing going, and frankly, I tend to be a bit overly-critical of downtown, tourist-trap tasting rooms.

Comes in hard with bruised, ripe blackberry and the piquant spiciness of crushed seeds and perfect acidity as the tannins build steadily in the background of more sweet oak.  A bruiser, but oh so balanced and sophisticated.  It’s like wearing a tie under your biker jacket and using the valet parking.  You just hope the attendant can drive a stick.

I am absolutely LOVING this wine and will go back to try more.  Major props.  So balanced.  Truly a snob wine.  I do not know anything about Phantom Creek other than they buy all their grapes and are in the SM Wine Center.  The woman in the tasting room used pronouns indicating involvement in the wine-making, but it tastes as if perhaps there is a consultant of higher pedigree.  If not, even more props.  I can’t wait to taste their Pinot and cab.  What’s the alcohol?  Guessing 14-2.  Doesn’t matter, I give this an A.  Yup.  It’s that good.

2007 PHANTOM RIVERS Syrah Larner Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley Santa Barbara Co. 14.2

http://www.phantomrivers.com/