Bedrock Wine Co., Griffins Lair Vineyard Syrah, Sonoma Coast

A northern Rhone style Syrah. As good on day two as day one. Has a number of years in front of it.

2015 vintage

Solid - but maybe a touch underwhelming. Floral notes, iodine notes, meaty notes. A bit plummy, a bit clumsy. Not quite there in terms of perfume, taste, or mouthfeel. Alcohol sticking out a little bit. Again, not too much luck with Bedrock Syrahs with 8-12 yrs of age. Makes me wonder if I should drink earlier, or hold on to for longer.

2013 vintage

Delicious. Sturdy. Needs decanting. A beautiful Syrah for a hearty meal. Those has many years left on it.

2015 vintage

Seemed different from first bottle - really tight upon opening, so decanted 45 minutes. Even after another hour this was somewhat monolithic - like a young Northern Rhone. Blackberries and roasted meat/bacon with lots of black fruits and pepper. Significant tannins turned off several of our tasters. I felt like the fruit was buried, but by the end of the bottle it started to emerge. Guess this needed a 2+ hour decant... 90+

2015 vintage

Pretty good right now; Dark cherry with some pine needles; a touch of dried herbs; I want to see how my next bottle does in 4-5 years

2015 vintage

90 minute decant. Nose shows a flash if macerated cherry followed by sandalwood, exotic spice, and oak. Intense palate of dark, smoky red fruit with salty ham, spruce, dark chocolate, dried oregano, and a boatload of white pepper. Acidity, thick tannins, dark coffee, black fruits, black olive and charred oak on the finish. Best Syrah from Griffin’s Lair we’ve had and absolutely singing tonight.

2015 vintage

Decanted 45 min - no significant sediment. Fascinating combination of NorCal and N. Rhone! Has a ripeness component on the nose and palate that echoes Cali lush black fruits, yet complex minerals, bacon fat, crushed stones, licorice and texture. Drinking great now but expect improvement over the next few years. Loved it!! 92++

2015 vintage

in a nice spot. dusty and mid-weight fruit with plenty of tannin and texture. both aromatic and textural, rather than juicy.

2015 vintage

This is great Syrah. It has many classic savory and spicy Syrah notes. Some of that northern Rhône smoked meat and sagebrush on the nose, but at a brighter pitch. I’m drinking PnP and still getting a lot of tannin and structure. A bit of drying from the tannin but there is acid to balance that out and I suspect it will soften with air. No flavors I can name on the palette but the fruit is in the deep …

2015 vintage

Light purple, no bricking. Expressive nose jumped out while pouring on the second day. Fortunately, there was one glass left in the bottle after the July 4th excess. Presented with dark fruits, smoked meats, with a light floral overlay. Second day the fruit was less pronounced in the body and the tannins a bit grippier. Medium long finish. From day 1, I just remembered it was perfect for grilled lamb chops. Leave the last bottle for 2025 or later. But …

2015 vintage

14.2% abv, 50% whole cluster. Dark garnet. There's some really pretty things going on with this wine at eleven years old - savory aromas of kola nut, violets, game and olives are immediate and nicely intertwined. Yes, there's some Cali-typical purple and blue fruit that's a bit jammy at times, but no one should mistake this for Cornas. It seems relatively unevolved but my feeling is it has another 5-7 years of plateau. Surprisingly good with homemade butter chicken - …

2013 vintage

Delicious, lovely balance.

2015 vintage

Consumed over two days. Pretty good stuff. Nose not as expressive as I would have expected. On the palate plummy fruits, florals, and some iodine and meat. Fairly well integrated but a bit tannic. Fruity and new world but not a jammy bomb. Solid effort.

2013 vintage

Wow. Almost a mezcal smokiness up front. Really nice purple fruit behind it. Big, unctuous wine with some beauty and complexity behind.

2013 vintage

This thing was singing like a witness that flipped to the prosecution. Just outstanding.

2013 vintage

Note taken after 3+ hours of air. Plum and blackberry on the nose, with a subtle whiff of bacon fat. The palate has juicy fruit, with a nice smoky element to it on the finish. This one is ready to drink and probably won’t improve.

2013 vintage

Bedrock syrahs at Bazaar Meat (Chicago, IL) : The nose reminds me a bit of a Gilles Cornas, with a Cornasien disposition with that meatiness and sterner black fruit. The palate is where this differs, as it feels lighter and a little more dilute than the French counterpart. But at half the price, this is unmistakably a serious value syrah play.

2015 vintage

1 hour decant. Flavors of blackberry and leather, with nice acidity and integrated black tea tannins. Finish is all coffee and chocolate. Great wine in a great place! Drink now - 2030.

2015 vintage

I love This vineyard but this is not what I am used to. Not that big black fruit. Kind of dry but a decent mid palate. Did not change much over two hours.

2013 vintage

Completely closed down night one (group agreed this bottle was almost undrinkable). Approachable night two. Was singing night 3 (dark fruit and heavy olive notes). Going to allow my remaining bottles to sit for a while longer.

2015 vintage

Perhaps I will revise my view over the next few hours but this is very disappointing. It’s super dry without any fruit. Can’t drink it

2013 vintage

Popped and poured. Initially, this showed quite tannic. That subsided somewhat after about an hour. I'd suggest a decant. Moderately expressive nose. Savory elements with dark fruits on the palate. By the next day, the tannin had come into balance.

2013 vintage

Likely fully mature at this point. Very dark and extracted, but definitely not over ripe. Smooth textured with supple tannins. Balanced fruit, acidity and savory notes.

2015 vintage

Good crunch. Not overripe or over-extracted, great, leaner style balance. À la MTP. A bit anti-CA, to its benefit.

2015 vintage

Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined and refrigerated), note from day 2. Appearance: Clear, medium purple. Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity with developing aromas of lush dark fruit - blackberry and cassis, dark chocolate, black olive, leather, and black pepper. Palate: Dry, medium acid, medium+ tannin - soft and big, full body, 14.8% abv, medium+ intensity with flavors of blackberry, black raspberry, leather, and chocolate with a long finish. Overall an exceptional wine drinking great at this moment, exceptional on day one, …

2015 vintage

Probably not the best showing, as it really should have been decanted for a couple of hours. Opened with a 2015 Pax Griffin's Lair Syrah as part of a fun tasting. This won by a long shot, as the Pax was firmly shut down. Blackberry and leather, with bright acidity and astringent tannins. Drink now with air - 2030.

2015 vintage

No notes taken Drinking well and mature.

2013 vintage

Consistent to my previous note, incredible richness and purity, velvety smooth with mouth coating yet balanced tannins. Drink over the next five years for best experience IMO.

2015 vintage

Dark burgundy. Nose lifted dark fruits, hint of wildness; with time a pronounced bacon meaty aroma. Palate dark fruited, some tannins still but not bitter, not too heavy. Still seems young, like it has time to become more defined — maybe needs a decant/air. 91 pts+

2015 vintage

Inky black. Notes of plumb, sassafras & grilled meat. Long deep finish. Powerful. Drinking well but will benefit from several more years in cellar.

2015 vintage

The 2013 Bedrock Syrah Griffin's Lair is darkly seductive, mixing just enough California plumy fruit ripeness with smoky minerals, dried meat, earth and animal tones that together find that perfect harmonious Rhone-inspired mix. It's silky and smooth with a vanilla tinge to its tart black berries, which are neatly offset by a twang of sour citrus. There's just enough tannic grip to keep the 2013 tactile and lightly structured as it tapers off incredibly long with violet florals, lavender and …

2013 vintage

Gorgeous wine. Pepper, bacon fat, meat, wet stone, florals, cane berries on the nose. Palate has blackberry, other tart berries, bacon fat, pepper, and some earthy quality. Long finish with the fat and pepper hanging out. Lots of tannin and acid, though not intrusive to enjoyment now. Definitely think this is not in its prime and I’m quite glad I have another. You’d be best to give this a healthy decant.

2015 vintage

This one still hasn't quite come together for me. Needed a ton of air, but even with lots of that it was never quite in great form. At its best point it showed cool climate notes of black pepper, violets, and just a touch of blackberry fruit. A lot of the right elements were there, just off balance with heat and bitterness on the finish. Tasted over two nights.

2015 vintage

PNP. blackberry, smoke, bacon fat, black olives, saline. Big flavor but not ponderous. Lovely, proper Syrah, very good now, still on the upswing.

2015 vintage

Decanted 3 hrs. This syrah was in a very good place, structured, but soft enough around the edges that suggest this is in the early side of its drinking window. It carried the unmistakable note of a freshly shaved vanilla bean (not oaky) that I have seen in middle aged WA syrah but never a CA one.

2013 vintage

Wife prefers this vineyard over the others. So my favorite also :-)

2015 vintage

Huge, almost opaque. Red fruits, saddle leather, bacon fat, sweet tobacco, and violets. Massive finish, all Syrah. Give it another couple years at least.

2015 vintage

consistent with notes of 12/28/2018 drink now

2013 vintage

Still tight, benefited from decanting. Wonderful smooth tannins after decanting and very integrated.

2013 vintage

Black plum, prosciutto, dark mocha, wisteria on the nose. Intense spread of dark palate-staining fruit with a dark salty tannic base with a perfect plummy tannic finish. Perfect pairing with Sicilian rabbit thing.

2013 vintage

Spiced prunes on the nose with flowers, coffee, and pungent undergrowth. Dark chocolatey fruit on the palate with a nice lick of tannin cleared by aromatic acids at the back, long finish. Broad stroke, strong colors, went well with green beans and chili crisp.

2013 vintage

Tart and overly acidic Syrah. Heavy tannins throughout

2013 vintage

Inky purple still. 2 hr decant then drunk over 2 days. Copious blackberry and blueberry with black pepper and smoked meat. Tannins still quite evident.

2013 vintage

Floral element on the nose -- violets? I don't usually love flowers in my wine, but in this case it is heady and amazing. The onset has a touch of sweet fruit, but this is ephemeral. On the midpalate, there's a big swell of acid, very insistent. Tart, concentrated, and balanced. Finishes with touch of mouth-watering savoriness. This was a great experience, and everything I've been saving these Bedrocks for.

2013 vintage

Opened for the Wineberserkers Morgan and Joel Zoom Chat. Opened at 6 pm, decanted, followed until 10 pm. This wine needed at least an hour of air, and probably two hours, before it started to shine. Brooding floral nose, red fruit starting to peek out from under the covers as it gets a bit of age. Cherry and plum. No Syrah Pepper spice. This is definitely a fruit driven wine but without jammy over-ripeness. Soft and sexy. With luck, I …

2013 vintage

The little bugger is still tight. Seven years and needs more time. 2 hours still tight. Ug. This. I just don’t know how to rate this. Enjoyed with the meal. Sipping not as much. Should have saved some and quadruple decant. Or next day.

2013 vintage

Dark ruby, nearly opaque. No evident age at the rim. Medium intensity cooked red and purple fruit nose, just an early hint of secondary scents. Very drinkable palate. Supple shy fruits, drinkable without food. Medium acidity; enough to leaven it without being overt, and a little baking spice. It’s an old-vine fairly extracted Syrah (identifiably New World, could impersonate a quality Aussie Shiraz) without being a hot monotonous Syrah. Some chewy, earthy texture on the finish, but appealing vs excessive. …

2013 vintage

Rich. Fruit. Some spice. Just what you want. Had with a steak it it was great with it. Sipped afterwards and do good. Opened up more after 30 minutes. Changed.

2013 vintage

Possibly flawed, but not in a really bad way. Seems kind of flat vs other Bedrock Syrah I have had.

2013 vintage

Really a nice, rich syrah with dark red and black fruit flavors and a hint of pepper. Nice mouthfeel and aftertaste. Slightly spicy and fruity nose. Seems to be drinking really well now.

2013 vintage

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Bedrock Wine Co., Griffins Lair Vineyard Syrah, Sonoma Coast

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