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1999 RED TRIANGLE SYRAH The Insiders' Wine Line 2000 Tasting Notes Volume 4, Number 3 88 Points - The 1999 Syrah, “ Red Triangle”, Napa Valley has a perfumed nose of blackberries, raspberries, leather, sandlewood and dry citrus zest. The flavors of berries, cassis, roasted nuts, cola, chocolate and asian spices are balanced with exceptional depth followed by a fruity, expansive finish. Recommended. 16th Annual HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. SPRINGFEST WINE FESTIVAL 2001 ROWLAND – Silver Medal 1999 Red Tringle, Napa Valley, Syrah/Shiraz Wine Spectator, May 15th, 2001 86 POINTS - Rowland Syrah Napa Valley, 1999 Red Triangle Aromatic and firm, with Asian spice, venison and underlying notes of cocoa. The tannins and toasty oak last through the finish. Drink now through 2006. 550 cases made. Jerry Mead's International Wine Competition BRONZE MEDAL Rowland, 1999 Syrah, Red Triangle, Napa Valley Houston Chronicle, January 23rd, 2002 1999 Rowland "Red Triangle" Syrah --* * * * 1/2 --a red wine that's Rhone-like in one aspect but not Rhonelike in another. On the one hand, it does show a peppery quality, like a northern Rhone red. "Even the fruit when it's crushed smells like pepper," he said. "On the other hand, it doesn't have that leather and bacon quality like a Cote Rotie from the northern Rhone. And I added 17 percent cabernet sauvignon to give it structure and more of a finish to the syrah." It's about $26.99. Wine Enthusiast Magazine, June 2001 88 POINTS - Rowland, 1999 Syrah "Red Triangle", Napa Valley Tacoma News -Tribune, Bucko's New Releases Randy Buckner, April 26, 2002 1999 Rowland, Syrah, Red Triangle, Napa Valley, California, $26, 550 cases. Raspberry and blackberry liqueur aromas are augmented by anise and white pepper notes. Very deep, rich flavors play out on the palate, with silky tannins allowing early drinking. Plums, blackberries, and licorice battle for the forefront. Oak is obvious, but certainly does not dominate this bruiser. This is serious Syrah for the style. 90/91. Best of New Orleans - Brenda Maitland, May 2002 This is a wine of tremendous depth and concentration that's more Australia than Rhone, but definitely California. The wine, a blend of 83-percent Syrah and 17- percent Cabernet Sauvignon, was coopered in 50-percent new oak and 50 percent in a blend 1- to 2-year-old French and American oak. Black cherry, herbal, spicy bouquet with untamed, wild, brambly features; some peppermint, eucalyptus, a huge, jammy style with nuances of cinnamon and clove, with pepper on the backside. A big, blockbuster style of wine with even tannins that will improve the longer it is open. Good with venison, barbecue chicken or ribs, burgers. Available at Martin Wine Cellar. The Best Damn Syrah in California! Printed in the January 2002 Palm Beach & The Naples Times Rowland Vineyards: a must for the dining table and the cellar says John Jeffrey Pankauski. Gerry Rowland is just what a winemaker should be -a careful vintner who takes all that the land, vines and grapes will give, who adds his delicate touch and crafts a wonderfully enjoyable wine, which is also affordable ---while loving every minute of it! While at a private dinner and tasting at Piatti in Yountville (Napa Valley), I had the delight to meet this good-natured Aussie who has found a home in Napa. While dining with Gerry, I had the chance to learn more about his wine-making style and sample his wines -or at least those which I had not tried already. I first discovered his '98 Red Triangle Syrah from a friend in West Palm Beach. Tasting it twice on two separate occasions, I found it rich, fruit-forward, alive, creamy yet spicy, with flavors of cherry, some berry and pepper --just delicious. His '99 Red Triangle Syrah, which is more widely available now than his '98, is also wonderful: 83% Syrah, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5% alcohol. This 550 case production is made from grapes from three distinct locations: Coombsville, Oak Knoll and Atlas Peak. How good can this California Syrah be? Try it and judge for yourself. Even though the central coast of California (particularly the Santa Barbara area) is popular for many Rhone varietals, this Napa Valley Syrah is truly my very favorite California Syrah. I think you will agree it is an outstanding wine, and quite a find. How does he do it? Masterful in his craft, Gerry is a bottoms up winemaker. Rather than trying to fashion an end result, as a top down winemaker might, Gerry's focus starts and ends with the terroir. He looks to the land, examining the soil, the vineyard plot, the numerous climatic factors affecting the land (summer temperatures, morning fog, evening breezes, rainfall, elevation, etc.) and only then determines what type of wine ---what characteristics -can be offered. What can grow well there? What can the wine look, taste and smell like? What characteristics can a wine made from this area reveal with the proper handling? What is distinct about the land and the wine that can be produced? And then, he does everything he can to craft a wine that brings forth the uniqueness of the land and all the distinct characteristics one should expect from it, when in good hands. Because many of the larger wine producers are more concerned with high case production, they often ignore smaller, unique vineyards, even though such plots of land can yield wonderful grapes. It is these very unique plots of land, which Gerry looks to manage and harvest grapes from, which enable him to create a limited production of high quality wines from the top grapes in some of the best locations. Rowland Cellars is a small case production, high quality operation. Scoop up his wines now and you'll do so every vintage afterwards. Be sure to learn about...