Saturday, December 14, 2013

2009 La Sirena Le Barrettage Napa Valley by Winemaker Rockstar Heidi Barrett



I had the pleasure of tasting this full bodied red wine over the course of 2 days discovering a wine which revealed it's character with each glass and breath. Heidi has been known as one of the premier winemakers which is nothing new to many of you who visit these posts or wine lovers across the globe. Her attention to detail from the harvest of the fruit to the keen sense of knowing the progression of each wine in the different stages of aging (vine to barrel, to bottle) it's why she has been so successful in her career and sought after as a winemaker. Let's call it the "Golden Touch" of winemaking.

Pouring my first glass after just opening the bottle I noticed a young wine on the nose.  Remember above when I said time revealed the character? Initially the aromas of earthy herbs, pepper, smokey notes, leather and molasses didn't flow and I remembered when speaking with the winemaker she talked about allowing her wines to open in the glass instead of decanting. About every 5 minutes I revisited the swirling sniffing process to have my eyes opened to this amazing bouquet. The plum and blackberry jammy notes start to appear along with licorice and a hint of wild flowers followed by cloves. Every visit revealed this magical inner child coming out and each glass did the same. By the last glass you absolutely fell in love with this wine and it's balance of lush fruit complimented with these amazing spice notes.

The mouth is full of rich dark fruit and becomes more pronounced on the later pours and glass time. The harmony between the layers of fruit (plum, blackberry) and spice (anise, toasty oak,  cloves, molasses) coupled with the silky finish is superb. I found it difficult to let the wine sit so long but so worth the wait. Ironically I enjoyed a lasagna dish with a couple glasses and loved the pairing. How amazing will this wine be in another 3-5 years?

Visit La Sirena Winery website to secure a few bottles for your cellar or stop by Cellars of Sonoma where you can taste and buy a bottle or 3. You're going to love it.

Cheers
Dan




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