2011 Ghost Winery Syrah Wine Review
Type: Syrah
Color: Deep red
Grapes: 100% Syrah
Country: United States (Napa Valley)
Each year Flora Springs creates a much anticipated, limited edition varietal to honor their historic ghost wine cellar built in 1885 and carefully restored by the winery’s founders, Flora and Jerry Komes. This year’s release is the 2011 Ghost Winery Syrah and the word impressed doesn’t do justice to how I feel about this bottle.
Sourced from a small vineyard at the base of Atlas Peak, this Syrah is aged 11 months in French oak barrels (1/3 new, 2/3 one year old). Every year it is one of the top choice bottles to celebrate Halloween and for good reason.
Visually this is a great looking bottle. The top is capped with a black wax-dipped capsule and the label is designed exclusively for this vintage by Virginia-based artist Wes Freed, best known for his Drive By Truckers CD cover art.
Upon uncorking the 2011 Ghost Winery Syrah I was instantly grabbed by an enticing nose of dark cherries and sweet blackberry.
With my first glass I was pleasantly surprised with the great balance shown by this Syrah. You get a wonderful marriage of big flavor of dark fruit with a finish that is long but smooth. The dryness here is a nice compliment to the overall profile as it didn’t overpower me at the end of each sip.
What made my experience that much more enjoyable was a virtual tasting via the internet hosted by the general manager of Flora Springs, Matt Strayer of the Tasting Room and Sarah of Cellar Pass.
