Winery - Smasne Cellars
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A promising site for Syrah, this Lawrence vineyard designate delivers black cherry, pomegranate and blackberry fruit and suggestions of cola. It’s tart and juicy, and has been co-fermented with Viognier, which livens up the nose.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Scents of lemon polish, jasmine and honey-soaked apricots start this wine off with a surprise. It’s rich, dense, concentrated and lush, almost fat, but balanced and packed with nuances. The finish carries on with honey, toasted almonds, flowers and tea. For a dry Riesling it shows remarkable concentration and lush fruit flavors.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Well done with the leafy green, lightly peppery character of the grape. Good balance and persistence, with tannins that finish with green tea flavors.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Well made, this is a sappy, snappy take on Syrah, with vivid wild berry fruit and lively acids. It snaps into focus right away, then slowly softens as it weaves through the palate, with mixed berries, rhubarb, plum and hints of citrus. The finish lasts a full minute, adding notes of black pepper as it fades. This is beautifully rendered and not overblown in any way, with the alcohol at just 13.5%.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
In keeping with their other estate wines, this pure, 100% varietal Cabernet from the Smasne Vineyard offers unblended and crisply defined varietal character. It’s got plenty of cassis and cranberry fruit, compact and dense, and it tastes quite young still. The tannins are ripe and well-managed, but this is a wine that needs decanting or time in the bottle to fill out and show what’s really in there.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Despite the extra bottle age, it’s a very youthful, dense wine. The Malbec is battened down with spicy purple fruit flavors and compact tannins. The balance is acid-driven, and the presence of new oak is muted. Will the tannins soften before the fruit fades? It’s worth socking a bottle or two away to find out.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is a rather deep yellow straw color, and follows in the style of the winery’s distinctive 2005 bottling, with a rich blend of scents and flavors. Lemon polish, jasmine and honey-soaked apricots, tea and tangerines all conjoin in a dense, concentrated and lush wine. The finish carries on with honey, toasted almonds, flowers and an Alsatian oiliness. It’s one of the most concentrated and unique Rieslings produced in a state known for them.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is a higher end effort than the name might imply. Ripe and spicy, it takes the floral and citrus rind qualities of Viognier, tosses in some tart green apple from Chardonnay, and puts in a splash of Gewürzt for spice. Fermented in neutral oak and aged seven months on the lees, it’s got a good spine, firm acid, highlights of cinnamon toast and a finishing kiss of lemon curd.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is an apt companion to the winery’s unique style of Riesling; here again is the deep yellow gold color, the unctuous fruit, the high alcohol and the rich midpalate. It seems less successful with this grape, however, ramping up the heat and bitterness in the finish, and deleting the more elegant floral qualities.
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