2011 Syrah

As I wrote last year, Plumpjack is in the midst of a transition. Winemaker Tony Biagi's last vintage was 2011. Aaron Miller took over with the 2012 vintage and also blended and bottled the 2011s. It's too soon to know if there are going to be any stylistic changes at Plumpjack, but the transition appears to have gone smoothly. In 2012 Miller opted for cold soaks and longer macerations than in 2011, when Biagi favored shorter macerations, no doubt in response to the challenging vintage. It will be interesting to see the direction Miller takes. I found the 2012s a bit less expressive from barrel than normal, but that is something I saw at a number of properties. I am looking forward to tasting the wines again early next year.

The biggest news at Plumpjack is the departure of long-time winemaker Tony Biagi, who crafted a number of the finest wines to emerge from this gorgeous property in Oakville. Biagi is moving to Hourglass, which has needed more day-to-day attention for some time, while Plumpjack has installed an on-site winemaker for each of their three properties; Plumpjack, Cade and Odette, the company's new project in the Stags' Leap district. The new winemaker at Plumpjack is Aaron Miller, previously of Groth and Lewis. Companies evolve and people move on to new challenges. It happens. I have to say I have seen few, if any, wineries handle the first part of a transition like this with as much grace and intelligence as Plumpjack has.