This elegant Syrah is impressively smooth and beautifully balanced. It tastes of wild blackberries, black cherries, and ripe plums nicely woven with notes of white pepper and minerality. Grown in their Edna Valley estate vineyard in a new section, it’s named for owner/winemaker Bob Lindquist’s mother, Sonnie. It’s 100-percent biodynamically farmed, Demeter Certified. This limited wine was a selection of the best eight barrels from that vintage. Lindquist noted that it was striking to get so much depth and complexity from young vines. Although it’s quite enjoyable now, he recommends cellaring a few bottles for five to eight years. Available online at qupe.com, or their Los Olivos tasting room, it’s $55 retail for this collectible wine.
This article appears in Sep 22-29, 2011.