Once again Wine Enthusiast awards Margerum wines with 90+ point scores!
93 Margerum 2011 UBER Syrah (Santa Barbara County).
This is the winery’s most expensive
Syrah, a blend of Margerum’s best vineyard
sources. It’s rich and dramatic, with ripe, strong
black currant, blackberry jam, dark chocolate, dark
chocolate and oak flavors. But it’s tannic. Give it until
2020 to come around. Cellar Selection. —S.H.
abv: 14.1% Price: $50
92 Margerum 2011 Black Oak Vineyard Syrah (Santa Barbara County).
With the impenetrablydark color, you know this is a wine of huge
extract, which is exactly what it proves to be with the first taste.
It’s enormous in blueberry, black currant,
cassis liqueur, charred meat, bacon and black
pepper flavors that are so complex, they change by
the second. The tannins are hard, and need time to
sosten. Give the wine until at least 2020, and 2024
may be the sweet spot. Cellar Selection. —S.H.
abv: 14.1% Price: $36
91 Margerum 2011 Purisima Mountain Vineyard Syrah (Santa Ynez Valley).
Made from grapesgrown in one of the best vineyards in the valley,
this Syrah is a particular success, given the challenging
vintage. It’s tannic, bone dry and zesty in
acidity, with deeply extracted blackberry, black currant,
charred meat bone and black pepper flavors.
The long, rich finish suggests aging. Hold until 2017.
Cellar Selection. —S.H.
abv: 14.1% Price: $36
90 Margerum 2011 Colson Canyon Vineyard Syr- ah (Santa Barbara County).
A big wine, tannic and extracted in blackberry, blueberry and red
currant flavors, with notes of bacon, mocha, black
pepper and sandalwood. It shows plenty of class,
but is still too young. Give until 2017 in the cellar.
Cellar Selection. —S.H.
abv: 14.1% Price: $36
