2015 Vintage Reviews
Jeb Dunnuck
"Winemaker Jeff Cohn releases a huge number of Zinfandels and interesting blends from throughout California. He also makes a handful of truly brilliant Syrahs that will compete with anything coming out of California today."
Single Vineyard Syrah
Buffalo Hill
96 The more limited release, the 2015 Syrah Buffalo Hill Rockpile Vineyard is a dense, concentrated, backward effort that's going to need 2-4 years of bottle age to show at its finest. Blackcurrants, smoked meats, cedarwood, and lead pencil characteristics flow to a powerful, full-bodied, Syrah that has ripe, yet present tannin, integrated acidity, and a huge finish. Backward, dense, yet oh so promising, it's world-class stuff and is going to have two decades of overall longevity.
So Serine
98 From the Rockpile Vineyard, the tiny production 2015 Syrah So Serine is one of the gems in this Rockstar lineup. Brought up all in new French oak, it offers a massive bouquet of smoked black fruits, rendered bacon fat, spring flowers, and wet river rock. It's deep, opulent, and seamless on the palate, with full body, a weightless texture, remarkable purity, and blockbuster length. For a wine of this intensity and size, it stays light, elegant, and perfectly balanced. Don't miss it!
Domaine des Chirats
96 A collaboration with Yves Cuilleron in France's northern Rhône Valley, the 2015 Syrah Domaine des Chirats Rockpile Vineyard is a sensational, rich, layered Syrah that does everything right. Crème de cassis, blueberries, smoked meats, white flowers and exotic spices all flow to a full-bodied, powerful Syrah that would be a dead-ringer for a top Hermitage. It's certainly not for those craving lightweight aromas and flavors, but it has extraordinary purity, awesome depth of fruit, and a great, great finish.
Rockpile 'Haley'
92 The 2015 Syrah Rockpile Vineyard doesn't have the same singular character as the other Syrahs from this site, yet still offers a beautiful, pure, elegant style that's loaded with charm. Black and blue fruits, violets, crushed rocks, and some marine-like salinity all flow to a medium to full-bodied, beautifully pure, elegant Syrah that has present tannin, good acidity, and a great finish. Drink it over the coming decade or more.
Zio Tony Ranch
94 The 2015 Syrah Zio Tony Ranch is a sensational effort that's sourced from a site in the Russian River Valley. This is a cooler region best known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but there are some awesome cool-climate Syrahs produced from this region as well. This 2015 (from a warmer, low yielding vintage) offers a huge nose of blackcurrants, plums, spiced meats, and cedary herbs. Deep, medium to full-bodied, and impeccably balanced, it has good acidity, sweet tannin, and no hard edges, all making for one brilliant Syrah to drink over the coming 6-7 years.
Single Vineyard Rhônes
Sweetwater Springs Petite Sirah
95+ Sourced from the Russian River Valley portion of Sonoma, the 2015 Petite Sirah Sweetwater Springs Vineyard is shockingly elegant, especially given the variety, which can tend to be overdone and rustic. Blueberries, plums, spring flowers, tobacco, and charcoal notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, seamless Petite Sirah that has awesome purity, fine yet certainly present tannin, and a great finish. This beauty is going to drink nicely for 15+ years.
El Diablo Grenache
93 Coming all from a site in the Russian River, the 2015 Grenache El Diablo Vineyard has a medium ruby color to go with lots of wild strawberries, spice box, red cherries, and dried flowers notes. It's medium to full-bodied, has beautiful purity of fruit, true Grenache character and a great finish. It's a terrific example of the variety from California that will keep for 5-6 years.
Twist of Fate Mourvèdre
93 From Paso Robles, the 2015 Twist of Fate is 100% Mourvèdre sourced from the Alta Colina Vineyard. Blueberries, strawberries, passion fruit, bay leaf, and some Northern Rhône-like bacon fat notes all flow to a juicy, elegant, yet intense red that has loads of fruit, impressive balance, and a great finish.
Broken Compass Carignan
91 The 2015 Broken Compass is all old vine Carignan sourced from Sonoma County. It offers loads of black fruits, beetroot, violets, and resinous herbs in a medium to full-bodied, juicy, vibrant style. It has good acidity, fine tannin, classic Carignan character and is going to drink nicely for 5-6 years.
Single Vineyard Zinfandel
Sweetwater Springs 'Isabel'
94 The Russian River 2015 Zinfandel Sweetwater Springs Vineyard gives up a big, boisterous bouquet of black raspberries, plums, Asian spices, cured meats, and cedar. Just screaming Zinfandel at the top of its lungs, it has medium to full body, a rounded, fleshy mid-palate, and loads of charm. It's going to drink nicely for upwards of a decade.
Iron Hill
93 From Sonoma Valley, the 2015 Zinfandel Iron Hill is another ruby/purple-colored effort from Cohn that has plenty of character. Savory earth, iron, dried herbs, and ample blackberry and black cherry fruit give way to a spicy, medium-bodied, savory, balanced Zinfandel that picks up more and more fruit with time in the glass. I love its balance and it's going to cruise for a decade or more in the cellar.
Nun's Canyon
93 There's a tiny 184 cases of the 2015 Zinfandel Nun's Canyon Vineyard, which offers a big nose of scorched earth, camphor, balsa wood, and exotic spices to go with loads of plum and black cherry fruits. It's ripe, opulent, packed with sweet fruit, and has a clean, dry finish. It's a classic, hedonistic Zinfandel done beautifully.
Cassata
92 The 2015 Zinfandel Cassata Vineyard is another Sonoma Valley release. This beauty leads with its fruit and offers loads of currants, plums, blueberry, and earthy spice characteristics, full body, a rounded, voluptuous style, and beautiful purity. It gains complexity with time in the glass and, as with all of Jeff's wines, it's beautifully balanced.
Rinaldi
90 Coming from Amador County, the 2015 Rinaldi Vineyard offers a perfumed, almost Grenache-like perfume of wild strawberries, spring flowers, dried spices, and leather. It's medium-bodied, has bright acidity, and is a lively, clean, impressively balanced Zinfandel to drink over the coming 4-5 years.
St. Peter's Church
89 Coming from the Alexander Valley, the 2015 Zinfandel St. Peter's Church has a spice, dried earth, tobacco, savory character as well as complex notes of plums and ripe black cherries. It's medium-bodied, easygoing on the palate, and while it drops off on the finish, certainly still offers plenty of charm. Drink it over the coming 5-7 years.
Blends
misc. stuff GSM
92 The 2015 Misc. Stuff is another blend from Cohn that does everything right. Made from 55% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and the rest Mourvèdre, from multiple sites in Sonoma, it has an uber ripe, sexy style as well as loads of black cherries, plums, Asian spices, and licorice aromas and flavors. Ripe, yet balanced and never over the top, with nicely integrated acidity, drink it over the coming 4-5 years.
Pure Yum
93 The 2015 Pure Yum checks in as a blend of 67% Syrah and 33% Grenache. It has a Southern Rhône-like exuberance and decadence as well as loads of black cherry fruits, melted licorice, and charred meat aromas and flavors. It's aptly named and is unquestionable pure yum. Drink this ripe, full-bodied red over the coming 3-5 years.
photo credit: JebDunnuck.com
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