2007 Dos Cabezas Eaglepoint California Syrah Half Case

Tastes like: Cherry, strawberry, cracked pepper
Pairs with: Cheeses and salume
Good for: Large gatherings
Drink this: Now
Alcohol: 14.5%

6 x 2007 Dos Cabezas Eaglepoint Ranch California Syrah

I recently attended a Rhône-wine tasting event where I fell in love with the tiny Arizona winery, Dos Cabezas. Winemaker Todd Bostock, a quiet and understated man, glowed when I asked him questions about his delicious wines and winemaking style. You might be scratching your head, as the wine offered today is clearly a California Syrah, but Bostock is not afraid to cross state lines to find the best-quality grapes for his cuvées.

Arizona has a small but growing wine scene, and Dos Cabezas is leading the charge in bringing credibility to the wines of the Grand Canyon State. Dos Cabezas WineWorks has been producing wines in Arizona since 1995. Bostock joined Dos Cabezas in 2002 and in 2006 he and his wife, Kelly, purchased the winery and vineyards. Though Bostock has 15 acres of estate vines, wines from the likes of Copain and Thackery inspired him to source fruit from outside his home state to help raise the bar for cool-climate Syrah.

This Syrah is sourced from one of California's superior vineyards for Rhône varieties, Eaglepoint Ranch. Situated at 1,800 feet of elevation, Eaglepoint is one of California's highest ranches, with hillsides of decomposed sandstone with veins of red loam, giving wines intense concentration and character. While Zinfandel initially made the vineyard famous, innovative producers such as Bostock have been wowing consumers with Syrah, producing textured wines with notes of pepper, white flowers and black fruits.

You don't have to cross borders to get a taste of this tiny, 300-case-production wine. The last of this 2007 Syrah is sold out at the winery and is available only here on Lot18.

Tasting Note
The 2007 Syrah represents the precision and technique found at Dos Cabezas in Arizona and the lush, elegant fruit found in California Syrah. The nose is vibrant, with spicy aromas of cherry, strawberry, cracked pepper and fresh flowers. Elegant, medium-bodied red fruit flavors are strikingly pure, with a refreshing mineral bite. On the palate it's a very clean, focused, poised Syrah with an excellent finishing lift and cut. This is a perfect wine pairing for herb-crusted lamb or grilled quail with quinoa. You could even invite more spice to the palate, as the wine's precision would hold up to savory and spicy pork carnitas.

—Punky Mahle

Punky Mahle has more than 15 years of experience in the wine and food industries, most recently with luxury resorts. Before joining Lot18 as a Napa/Sonoma Wine Specialist, Punky was a sommelier with The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the wine director for the Ritz Carlton in Phoenix. Punky currently lives, works and plays in Napa Valley. She’s thrilled to share her backyard with Lot18 members and be able to bring the region’s most exciting wines to the community. Learn more about Punky here, or follow her on Twitter: @punkytime