We just opened our first bottle of this tonight, with venison-black bean chili. Our first impression was of alcohol, but after a bit of time, there was more dark berry fruit, pencil lead, a hint of spices and a bit of butterscotch developing late. There was a good spine of acidity, and the overall weight was perfect for a heavy summer meal. Stylistically, this reminded me most of a Ridge Lytton Springs with some age on it or one of Bill Easton's Cotes de L'Ouest, similar GSM(C) melange. Had I been tasting this blind, I probably would have gone for Syrah or Zin and been befuddled as to location. Many thanks to Bill Paumen for both bringing these wines into the state and alerting me to their presence.
Mark Lipton