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Wine Recommendation
Hug Cellars
2005 Syrah, Cedar Lane Vineyard(Arroyo Seco)
Augie Hug produces a range of wines at his Hug Cellars in Paso Robles, with Syrah and Pinot Noir the specialties. His Pinots are very good, but I’m partial to the Syrahs. This one comes from a vineyard to the north, in the cool Arroyo Seco AVA of Monterey County, and its flavors show its cool-climate roots: juicy blackberry fruit, backed by notes of smoke and white pepper. The wine displays good concentration without being overly tannic, and it has a long, rich finish. Nor is it overly oaky, as so many Syrahs can be: the wine was aged in French oak barrels, but only about a quarter of them were new.
You could lay down this wine for a few years, but if you decide to drink it now, give it some air. I tasted it one evening (nice wine, I thought), stuck the cork back in, then drank it the next evening, and it had really blossomed. Hug Cellars is a small winery, and fewer than 300 cases of this wine (which sells for $29) were made, but it’s worth looking for.
Reviewed June 12, 2007 by Laurie Daniel.
Other reviewed wines from Hug Cellars
  2005 Syrah, Bassetti Vineyard, Rena Block (San Luis Obispo County)Laurie Daniel 6/12/2007 |
The Wine
Winery: Hug Cellars |
The Reviewer
Laurie Daniel
Laurie Daniel, wine columnist for the San Jose Mercury News, has been reviewing wine for more than 10 years. She doesn’t use numbers, preferring to describe her recommended wines and let consumers decide for themselves. Laurie believes that bigger isn’t necessarily better; she’s partial to wines of balance, finesse and character. Her particular interests are Pinot Noir (versions that really taste like Pinot, that is) and aromatic whites like Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. |