2008 Big Basin Odeon

The 2008 Odeon a blend of 57% Syrah and 43% Cabernet Sauvignon comes across as quite a bit fresher and better balanced than the Grizzly. Sweet herbs, crème de cassis, flowers and spices flow from this opulent, beautifully balanced wine. The presence of the late-ripening Cabernet helped preserve quite a bit of freshness. A final blast of blueberries and blackberries informs the finish.

The 2008 Odeon a blend of 57% Syrah and 43% Cabernet Sauvignon comes across as quite a bit fresher and better balanced than the Grizzly. Sweet herbs, creme de cassis, flowers and spices flow from this opulent, beautifully balanced wine. The presence of the late-ripening Cabernet helped preserve quite a bit of freshness. A final blast of blueberries and blackberries informs the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. Bradley Brown crafts gorgeous artisan wines from his vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey County. The wines are fermented with ambient yeasts, see no racking and are bottled unfined and unfiltered. The Pinots are aged in 50% new medium toast barrels, while some of the Syrah and Syrah-based blends see higher amounts of new wood. Brown is gradually moving towards reducing toast levels and amounts of new oak. The 2008s are big, rich wines marked by the low yields of the year that are the result of the spring frost. Vintage 2009 was a flashier, more overt year until a heavy rainstorm hit on October 13. The 2009s generally are lower in alcohol than the 2008s. As good as these wines are – and they are often outstanding – my feeling is that Brown has just scratched the surface of his potential. Tel. (831) 621-8028; www.bigbasinvineyards.com