2020 Clos Solene Cuvée Jean
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Ashen stones and underbrush give way to sage and dusty black currants as the 2020 Cuvée Jean Syrah slowly evolves in the glass. Sleek and racy in style, this impresses with its dark inner florals and crisp black fruit profile, all guided by brisk acidity. It finishes short and leaves a subtle bitter tinge as sour citrus traces fade. While balanced, the 2020 comes across as a bit meek in nature.
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James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
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Co-fermented with 3% Viognier, the 2020 Cuvée Jean has a medium ruby-purple color and slowly blossoming scents of graphite, peppercorn, violet and blood orange with a core of blackcurrant fruit. The medium-bodied palate has a deep core of blue fruit and surprisingly fresh acidity, and it has a long, lifted finish.
What a perfume! Very Rhone-like aromas with scented red and white fruit with a hint of white pepper and flowers. Subtle white nectarines. Elegant on the palate, with focused, refined tannins that drive the linear, medium-bodied palate. Evenly distributed. Drink or hold.
The 2020 Cuvee Jean comes from the Santa Maria Valley and is 97% Syrah and 3% Viognier that will spend 21 months in 35% new barrels. It has a dense purple hue to go with a powerful, full-bodied, concentrated style, including classic Bien Nacido black fruits, ground pepper, iron, and graphite. It's certainly going to be one of the standouts in the lineup in 2020 and is a brilliant, serious Syrah in the making. Vigneron Guillaume Fabre continues to make brilliant wines under his Clos Solene label. While he’s planted numerous new vineyards on his estate, he also pulls fruit from Santa Maria and releases those wines under his Cuvee Jean bottlings.