Santa Barbara Winemakers.
Star Lane 2004 syrah. Shiner.
When it gets released, the full details about this wine will be noted. That being said this is a Shiner (without label nor info). The '03 is according to their website, sold out. After this review the '04 will sell out soon too.
Forget the syrah makers jumping through hoops trying to outdo the previous vintages. Forget fruit forward, forget clones, rootstocks, jamminess, coffee, chocolate yada yada yada. Go into the world of what is realistically expected of syrah, the first time you tried a wine that did it to you, if you will. There is a fragrance from syrah not often found at the moment (Steve Beckmen knows where it is, Bob Lindquist knows where it is). It is the wine, the grape screaming to be let loose to do what it does best. This is like accepting New Order after Joy Division. It's the "of course" moment, the "wow factor" for some. Like a long lost friend who returns and hasn't changed but got better. This is C&W when Johnny Cash was around. This is coke still found in Mexican delivery trucks and not in 7eleven. This is what the French '03's were about at HdR, this is what you are really in need of when scouring the wine list and need to say it with grapes and not flowers. It's where Corey could have gone if he kept it together, it's the fruit from the eastern side of the valley that can at the moment make Santa Ynez proud.
For soccer/football fans this is like watching Georgie, Dennis, Eric, Norman, Ryan in their prime - purity. You can hunt high and low looking for something obscure/impressive/cool/delightful and usually fail but mark my words guys this is raring to go and will pay off. I have a line of empty bottles waiting to reviewed but the Star Lane '04 just jumped the queue/line. A no nonsense, smack in the middle of all you want and need and expect from this varietal. I use my words carefully as you know from previous reviews, I planned on a glass with some steak, the steak has gone and so too will the bottle tonight. This is not for keeping for a day or two to see if it opens up, nor does it need decanting. I'm of the mind that American oak can help a syrah along a la Jeff Wilkes comments, but I find the French oak is a superior container for the hotter region here in the valley. I can hear the sommelier telling me I made a very good choice, then joining me for dinner to taste this wine again.
Nick Deluca, the winemaker at Star Lane is well on his way to producing something that the future Happy Canyon will prove the other side of the 154 can barely consider. Winemakers beware, Star Lane is a player, the fruit in a questionable year can come up roses. I know of few winemakers who will rave over their red '04's but this wine hails back to the '99's. Based on my current hand/eye coordination, I suspect about a 14.3% alc yet the balance of tanin and fruit is as immaculate at Clos Pepe's '04 pinot or Paul Lato's "Duende" or the '03 sangiovese from Tantara, or anything that that the guys at Kenneth Crawford can make (sorry Mark you have competition here).
Because this is a pre-release, stay on the cutting edge with me here and order some now because it is as good as it gets. I've done a lot of '04 barrel tasting and have yet to compare this against anything as good as it. If the price range on release fits my wallet, I will be buying too much of it, but will be the wine that everyone will remember. On the same line of thinking Parker will not get to it and if he did he'd nail it with a mid 80 ("chocolate, dark berry, hints of coffee, cola.") and miss the point of what is going on down here if only because he's becoming anachronistic.
There is a pleasure principle at work, don't miss out.
Cheers
September 22. 2006
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