2010 Syrah Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard

Director of winemaker Damian Parker described 2011 and 2010 as "two small, tough vintages" for the winery's Napa Valley reds, "2010 with more fruit and 2011 more elegant but closed today." The team here also finds similarities between 2010 and 2009, although Parker says the former vintage is more sappy, while the '09s are more serious. As for the Phelps family's Freestone venture in the Sonoma Coast appellation, which was brought under the official Joseph Phelps umbrella as of the release of vintage 2009, Parker says 2011 was better than 2010: "We had less botrytis in 2011, and at least during the early part of the harvest the fruit was very healthy. The 2010 chardonnays are very fruit-forward, while the 2011s are more citrussy and minerally."

Winemaker Ashley Hepworth has done a fabulous job with these new releases. While most of the attention at Phelps centers around the flagships Insignia and Backus, over the last few years I have been equally impressed with the straight Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that delivers tremendous bang for the buck. In addition to these wines, I also tasted a few Syrahs from the 1970s. Today, Phelps is known for their Cabernet Sauvignons, but it is also worth remembering Joe Phelps was the first grower to introduce Syrah to the Napa Valley several decades ago.

The major news here is that Phelps has recently decided to bring their Freestone project back under the official Phelps umbrella for greater efficiency, so beginning with the 2009 vintage the Freestone chardonnays and pinots will be labeled Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyards Following a tricky 2008 growing season for pinot noir in the Sonoma Coast (and points north), 2009 brought very healthy grapes, noted director of winemaking Damian Parker, who rated it 8.5 on a scale of 10 in terms of cleanliness of fruit, with 2010 meriting 6. Over on the Napa side, however, the winemaking team at Phelps loves the 2010 reds for their precision and aromatic lift. Almost all of the Backus and Insignia wines, as well as the syrah, were from fruit picked before the serious rains began on October 23, said Parker.