A dark and dense vintage of Clone 1, the 2021 is loaded with flavors and aromas of dark berry fruits, dried meats, smoke, espresso, and hints of pepper. The mouth is round and elegant with slightly elevated acidity which keeps everything focused and balanced. The wine finishes with ripe, long tannins that frame and lengthen the flavors on the back end. The 2021 should drink beautifully for the next 20+ years.
96 Points
The 2021 Syrah Clone #1 Purisima Mountain Vineyard is slightly bigger and richer, with lots of pepper and gamey notes as well as smoked black fruits, hints of game and iron, medium to full body, a firm, focused note of tannins, and a great finish. The purity here, as well as the structure, are incredible. This needs to be forgotten for 2 – 3 years and will knock your socks off over the following decade.
94 Points
The 2021 Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard Clone #1 captures all the elements that make Steve Beckmen’s wines so distinctive. Dark, brooding and explosive, the 2021 offers up an exotic mélange of dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, sage, black olive tobacco, incense and dried herbs. This large-scaled Syrah hits all the right notes.
Reviewed by Antonio Galloni, July 2023
93 points
This bottling of a Shiraz clone that UC Davis sourced from Australia in 1868 is extremely tight at first and needs some patience for it to open up. The nose combines boysenberry and lavender with subtle rosemary, while the palate offers blueberry and cracked pepper.
By Matt Kettmann, July 2024
