2011 Syrah

Proprietor Robert Kamen has put together a dream team at his rugged hillside vineyard, which is in the new Moon Mountain AVA. Phil Coturri takes care of the viticulture, while Mark Herold makes the wines. Is it any surprise these new releases are so compelling? Kamen Estate is proving to yield more than just the Cabernets most people have at least heard about. The Sauvignon, Viognier, Syrah and now the Cabernet Franc are all testament that this is one of the great vineyard sites in northern California.

Proprietor Robert Kamen is probably best known for his many high successful screenplays (including Taps, Karate Kid and The Fifth Element) but he appears equally at home on his large, sprawling property a few minutes outside Napa. Viticulturist Phil Coturri nurtures the vines while Mark Herold is in charge of winemaking. I tasted a number of exceptional wines during the few hours I spent at the estate earlier this year. Although Kamen is best known for his Cabernets, the Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Syrah are every bit as gorgeous, but sadly there is precious little of them to go around. Readers fortunate enough to find these wines should not hesitate to check them out. The handful of 2012s I tasted were all promising. As is the case in many places throughout California, the 2010 reds are a notch above the 2009s. While a challenging season, 2010 at least gave Kamen and his team the chance to pick fully phenologically ripe fruit, while the 2009s were picked a bit early than would have otherwise been optimal because of the deteriorating weather.