2017 Faethm Fingers Crossed Syrah
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Tasting notes
The 2017 Syrah Fingers Crossed is composed of 90% Syrah, 5% Grenache, 2% Mourvèdre and 3% Roussanne, coming from Bien Nacido vineyard and Manfred and Elaine Krankl’s Third Twin and Cumulus vineyards, employing 25% whole cluster. It was aged for 21 months in French oak, 56% new, and was bottled at the beginning of July 2019. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with black fruit preserves, baked black cherries and boysenberries with wafts of violets, chocolate box, star anise, cardamom and Sichuan pepper. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with taut, ripe, black fruits, well-supported by firm, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long with an invigorating herbal lift. Very tight and youthful at the moment, it should be slow to evolve and offer a good two decades of pleasure.
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Robert Parker
Jeb Dunnuck
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The 2017 Syrah Fingers Crossed has lots of Bien Nacido character (although there’s plenty of The Third Twin and Cumulus Vineyard fruit in the blend) in its olive, marine, bloody meat, and violet-laced aromas and flavors. Deep, full-bodied, beautifully concentrated and, as with the Grenache, flawlessly balanced, it stays tight and compact on the palate and is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age. There’s nothing liking starting out with a bang, and that’s exactly what Nicolas and Julia Krankl have done with their inaugural release under the Faethm label. The son of Manfred Krankl at Sine Qua Non, Nicolas, along with his wife Julia, created Faethm in 2017, and their first release, which immediately sold out, went live in 2019. I can’t recall a new estate that has impressed me as much right out of the gate and these 2017 and 2018s are truly brilliant wines. And while Nicolas trained with his father at Sine Qua Non and has certainly followed in those footsteps, these are not carbon copy wines, and they have their own distinctive characters. The focus is on Rhône varieties and fruit sources include a who’s who list of great sites and include Cumulus Vineyard, White Hawk, The Third Twin, and Bien Nacido. Unfortunately, production is a tiny 250 cases, and I would assume it will grow slowly, so if you want some these wines, get on the mailing list ASAP.
The 2017 Syrah Fingers Crossed is outrageously beautiful. Fresh, vibrant and wonderfully expressive, the Syrah manages to be both incredibly deep and also refined. The purity here is just striking. Absolutely nothing is out of place. Today, the Syrah is quite primary, so readers should plan on cellaring it for at least a few years to allow its full aromatic breadth to develop. Even in the early going, though, the 2017 is fabulous. Dollops of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Roussanne round off this stunning wine. (sold as a 4-pack with two bottles of Grenache and 2 of Syrah for $480)