WBW#30: New World Syrah - Thomas Fogarty Estate Syrah 2003 Fat Buck Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains

Yes, I realize that is the longest title of any wine bottle I've posted yet, but you see, I'm making up for lost time. My non-blogging life has been all encompassing for the last few weeks and I missed the Wine Blogging Wednesday deadline. After grovelling to my friend and host, Tim from the Winecast, he has granted me a much-needed extension.

Thomas Fogarty Estate Grown Syrah 2003
Fat Buck Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains

I was very lucky to get a bottle of this rare, Santa Cruz treat. My new  friend, Farley, had commented on my Perfect Gewertz post, and invited me down to taste in Santa Cruz a couple weeks ago. She works for Thomas Fogarty, a beautiful mountainside winery high up in the Santa Cruz Mountains. When I told her how impressed I was at some of the Syrahs that are coming out of the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA, she promised to put aside this gem for me --one of only 11 bottles left. I managed to focus on local Syrah that weekend, and look forward to posting about more of my discoveries in my next post.

The underlying theme of all the wines I tasted at Fogarty was terroir. They produce a pretty staggering number of different wines, some of which are from purchased grapes, and I felt most drawn to the Estate Grown wines. They all have a certain wild, woodsy, herbal quality that works well, especially with some wines, notably the Cabernets and the Syrahs.

Winemaker, Michael Martella, has been working with this 320 acre property since 1980 and is probably know mostly for his fresh, bright Monterey Gewertztraminer which is readily available. The Fat Buck Ridge Syrah, however, is produced in very limited quantities.

Tasting Notes:

The wine has a beautiful deep purply-red color with plenty of body and glycerins.

The nose, especially after some time in the glass, is alive with bing cherry, plum, vanilla, blackberry-cobbler, and mountain pine humus (forest bed) aromas.

On the palate, this is an explosive beast--and a bit hot on the palate at 15% alcohol. The Fat Buck has high, bright red/black fruit flavors with very little of the dense, dark mid-palate that other Santa Cruz AVA Syrahs possess.

At $50.00, this is one to lay down for a special occasion, but don't let it gather too much dust, as it is a very pleasing wine already. A couple of years in the bottle may tame down a bit of the wildness and even out the edges. Definitely a Corkdork recommendation.

Thanks again to Tim from the Winecast for hosting this month!

Comments

[Antonina]

Thank you for your site
;)

[farley]

Glad you came up and A)purchased the wine without tasting and B) that you enjoyed it, as it's one of my favorites and I was probably singing its praises to you.
Cheers!