2015 Terry Hoage Vineyard

Blended of 50% Syrah, 34% Grenache and 16% Mourvèdre, the 2015 Terry Hoage Vineyard has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and a lovely red fruit-dominant nose of red currants and cherries with hints of blackberries, mulberries, charcuterie and spice box, plus a touch of black olives. Full-bodied, firm and fine in the mouth, it has lovely vibrant red and black fruits with plenty of pepper, spice flavors and a good long finish.

The 2015 Terry Hoage Vineyard, which had just been bottled at the time of this tasting, is a blend of 50% Syrah, 34% Grenache, and 16% Mourvèdre. It sports a medium-ruby color as well as a classic Hoage vineyard perfume of flowers, cranberries, violets and assorted red and black fruits. This cuvée always has a tropical-slant to its fruit and is medium to full-bodied in 2015, with sweet, supple tannin, plenty of glycerol, no hard edges and a supple, forward yet balanced style. Drink it over the coming decade. It’s not going to make you forget the 2014, but is still a beautiful, singular wine. I’ve raved so much about the wines from Saxum’s Justin Smith, I feel like a broken record every new vintage. Nevertheless, these latest vintages are all stellar, and certainly the move to the new cellar hasn’t affect or changed the quality here. The 2014s show the richer, more fleshy style of the vintage, yet still carry the slightly more streamlined/elegant style that Smith has chosen over the past few years. The 2015s play even more in that realm, which is very much the vintage, and are lively and elegant, with pretty, perfumed characters – and plenty of fruit. The 2015s share a lot of similarities to the 2011s (which shined for their aromatics), yet have more fruit and power. It’s worth noting that the majority had just been recently bottled, which makes these showings even more impressive. A vintage that really excites me is the 2016s, which appear to be a return to a more bombastic style, with beautiful fruit and texture.

Blended of 50% Syrah, 34% Grenache and 16% Mourvedre, the 2015 Terry Hoage Vineyard has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and a lovely red fruit-dominant nose of red currants and cherries with hints of blackberries, mulberries, charcuterie and spice box, plus a touch of black olives. Full-bodied, firm and fine in the mouth, it has lovely vibrant red and black fruits with plenty of pepper, spice flavors and a good long finish. Sep 2017, www.robertparker.com