2007 Authenticity

Perhaps the densest wine, with the most structure and potential for 10+ years of evolution, is the 2007 Authenticity, a blend of 88% Syrah and 12% Mourvedre. Extraordinarily rich, with notes of camphor, creme de cassis, blackberry, licorice, and graphite, the wine is dense, full-bodied, still somewhat tannic, but pure and beautifully layered, with admirable equilibrium. Give this wine another 1-2 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 10-12+ years. The proprietors of Epoch, the Armstrong family, have overseen the rebirth of a historic vineyard once owned by the philanthropist and musician, Ignacy Jan Paderewski. This site was dedicated to Zinfandel in the early 1900s. Prohibition put an end to that, but that vineyard is now one of three estate vineyards comprising this 95-acre project. One part of Epoch is near Peachy Canyon, a big chunk of it sits next to the Booker Vineyard, and the rest is on York Mountain. The ambition of the Armstrongs is to produce 100% estate wines, and of the 95 acres, 60 are planted with southern Rhone varietals, and the rest with Tempranillo. Saxum’s Justin Smith, who serves as a consultant, told me that he thinks the micro-climate is slightly warmer than his James Berry vineyard. The first releases, which I tasted, are exceptional, so this looks to be a promising new venture. Of course, it has been launched under economically challenging conditions, but the quality of these wines should triumph over our recessionary times. www.epochwines.com