94
Josh Raynolds - Vinous Media
"Inky purple. Hugely perfumed black and blue fruit aromas are complicated by suggestions of vanilla, incense and cola. Fleshy, palate-staining cassis and boysenberry flavors gain sweetness and spiciness with air, picking up licorice pastille and violet nuances that gain strength on the back half. Finishes smooth and sweet, with velvety tannins adding shape to a strikingly long, broad, spice-tinged finish.
While Maggie Harrison's consistently outstanding Antica Terra wines from Oregon seem to be attracting more attention these days, her work in California's Central Coast, where she cut her teeth with Manfred Krankl at Sine Qua Non, deserves at least as much praise. Sourcing fruit from some the region's best vineyards (Stolpman for Roussanne and White Hawk for Syrah, for example), Harrison crafts wines that--no surprise--strongly channel those made by Krankl. And while they aren't cheap, they can actually be found, and they command significantly lower prices than those of her mentor. Like the Sine Qua Non wines these are deeply flavored, concentrated renditions of their varieties, with complex, compelling bouquets and wonderful fruit/tannin harmony. I find them almost shockingly approachable in their youth but have also been convinced by their ability to age. Personally, I would lay them down, but definitely try at least one of them soon after release, for the fireworks."
Our biggest wine deals. Available by text! Join Winetext.com today!
