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Wine Recommendation
Sobon Estate
2005 Syrah(Amador County)
Leon Sobon, founder of Sobon Estate, had been making big, inky Syrahs at his Amador County winery. “The problem was, they did not sell. They were not dinner wines,” says Sobon. He threw the book out with the 2005 vintage and in January 2007, released an entirely new style Syrah.
Sobon, a talented vintner and a Lockheed research scientist in another life, used his blending skills to produce a wine that manages to retain its lustiness, body and satisfying mouth feel, while at the same time, offering up a much lighter Syrah whose rich flavors pair well with, among other dishes, this writer’s Japanese gingered chicken.
About 80 percent of the fruit for the 2005 Sobon Estate Amador County Syrah is actually from Sobon’s other property, the nearby Shenandoah Vineyards. He is growing the Syrah on a steep hillside. “There is a forest growing on one side so it gets limited afternoon sun and some shade in late afternoon. It keeps the baked character out of the Syrah,” says Sobon. The result is a Syrah that is characteristic of Amador County Syrahs, with classic flavor notes of blueberry and cherry pies and vanilla. It has a sufficient finish as well. With this wine, Sobon has created a fresher Syrah without losing any of its richness – an experiment that has paid off well. Only 778 cases were produced.
Reviewed April 20, 2007 by Jean Deitz Sexton.
Other reviewed wines from Sobon Estate
The Wine
Winery: Sobon Estate |
The Reviewer
Jean Deitz Sexton
Jean Deitz Sexton’s first experiences with wine were drinking Italian wine as an NYU college student in New York City. She continues to have a love of red wines with a reasonable alcohol level, that have rich flavor, good fruit yet softness. Deitz Sexton has a great fondness for Rhone varietals, anything with bubbles and of late, is obsessed with blends. Her approach to wine reviewing is pretty straightforward: does it have a pleasant nose, clarity of flavor, interesting notes, good mouth feel, and a satisfying finish? |