2005 Sanguis Bossman Syrah

This Syrah is an extremely small 120 case production from Bien Nacido California. It was made by Proprietor Matthias Pippig who much like his friend and mentor Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non, worked at La Brea Bakery before his foray into wine making. He's taken a few pages from Krankl's playbook as he sources great vineyards and produces extremely small amounts of highly stylized wines with outstanding packaging.

This darkly opaque Syrah is packed with deep aromas of espresso roast, vanilla bean, blackberry, sandalwood, and cassis. There is also a distinct flower oil component and gamey-type boysenberry that accompanies the richly intense bouquet. 

On the palate this wine is intense and concentrated and shows it's muscularity through brooding flavors of cassis, vanilla-spice, cedar, and creamy blackberry. There is also a touch of pencil lead and heat from the high alcohol on the finish.  I would suggest old world fans avoid purchasing this ultra-progressive style fruit and coffee bomber! It is obviously meticulously made and there no doubt that many will believe this to be amazing wine, but it's just isn't my style. I think it replaces finesse, grace, elegance with power, extraction, and exalting arrogance. It's like many of the "over the top" Aussie wines that have impressed me but have never seen my cellar again! 90 points