Herman Story, White Hawk Syrah, Santa Maria Valley
Herman Story · California › Santa Maria Valley › United States of America
Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
92
/100
Reviews
24
professional
Vintages
No vintages
NV
Community Reviews
2525
Reviews
92.0
Avg Score
96
Highest
Taster #3035
· Aug 14, 2025
91/100
Almost as good as the bottle we had some 2 1/2 years ago. PnP, but better after some air. Still shows lots of dark fruits on the nose but when they carry over to the medium plus bodied palate they've lost some of their intensity and punch. There's also lots of spice, some pepper, some earth, juicy acidity and integrated tannins. Would suggest drinking up in the next year or so.
2012 vintage
Taster #8097
· Jun 18, 2023
Bummer! Corked, after 7 years in the cellar.
2012 vintage
Taster #3035
· Mar 16, 2023
92/100
Decanted for 30 minutes - with some sediment. A deep dark purple in the glass. Lots of dark red, blue and black fruits on the nose. All of these fruits follow on to the medium plus bodied palate along with lots of spice, some pepper and some earth. The acidity was juicy and nicely balanced all of the fruit. This wine is holding very well and should continue to hold for another couple of years.
2012 vintage
Taster #3220
· Sep 11, 2020
92/100
This is a well crafted Paso syrah, but 8-years in, still shows it's 15.4% as the most prominent feature. On second day it had settled in better, but not a style I appreciate as I once did.
2012 vintage
Taster #8343
· Aug 9, 2020
86/100
Too much jam. Headache wines
2012 vintage
Taster #7874
· May 25, 2020
92/100
100% Syrah aged in 65% New French oak for 22 months. Only 469 cases produced. Decanted and showing light to moderate sediment. Opaque, glass staining deep ruby with purple hues. Heavily scented with notes of boysenberry, marionberry and over-ripe plum, violet pastilles, vanilla, chips ahoy cookie, licorice, star anise, black pepper, espresso, forest floor, pine, leather, hot stone and hints of an auto shop. The palate retains a nice fruit core with mulled marionberry, plum and boysenberry pie with vanilla …
2012 vintage
Taster #1563
· Mar 22, 2020
90/100
Covid quarantine
2012 vintage
Taster #7421
· Mar 3, 2020
92/100
This is my last of several bottles bought a year or so ago. Decanted for 1 hour. Nice nose. Lots of dark fruit on the palate. Not as complex as a big cab, but I like it as a change. Smooth to the end of a medium finish.
2012 vintage
Taster #7113
· Nov 1, 2019
92/100
Huge wine. Still drinking great, and can continue to age.
2012 vintage
Taster #7016
· Oct 29, 2019
92/100
Two years since my last bottle and still drinking excellently. Dark red fruit on the nose. The palate was dark cherry, red plums and baked apple. Finish was moderate to long. Served with a Roast duck.
2012 vintage
Taster #3440
· Feb 13, 2019
93/100
what everybody else said. delicious with plenty of life left
2012 vintage
Taster #8452
· Feb 8, 2019
94/100
Drinking very well now, but undoubtedly has many more years to go. New oak on the nose and palate, along with dark fruit and tar notes. Full-bodied with long finish.
2012 vintage
Taster #3080
· Dec 15, 2018
92/100
The nose showed a mix of baked black cherries, raspberry, and plum, with hints of dark chocolate, tobacco, sweet cola leaf, smoke, and crushed stone. It enveloped the senses with silky textures, as sweetly spiced dark fruits, cherry sauce, licorice and sweet herbs filled the senses. A hint of its 15.4% alc tonight showed on the finish, but still the White Hawk came across as balanced, with lingering dark fruits, spice, and purple floral tones.
2012 vintage
Taster #8776
· May 20, 2018
93/100
has years left and may improve a bit.
2012 vintage
Taster #5647
· May 9, 2018
93/100
Blackberry, campfire and tar on the nose. Similar palate with a big dollop of bacon fat and pepper. I find the White Hawk to be the most northern rhone like with more savory characteristics than the Nuts & Bolts but clearly a Californian wine in weight and ETOH. That said, the years in the bottle have everything working well together at this stage. YEARS to go on this with upside!
2012 vintage
Taster #8383
· Dec 24, 2017
92/100
It really drank nicely. Could continue to lay down for sure.
2012 vintage
Taster #6103
· Oct 27, 2017
90/100
Decanted 2 hrs. Big dark fruit nose. Smooth, big dark fruit tastes. Medium+ body.
2012 vintage
Taster #5733
· Oct 10, 2017
92/100
Wonderful. dark fruit, spice, and slightly dusty, soft tannins.
2012 vintage
Taster #7016
· Aug 6, 2017
92/100
Opened for and hour then pnp'd/ Dark fruit on the nose, the palate was dark fruit, baked apple and spice. The finish is all dark apple pie and spices. Really good syrah.
2012 vintage
Taster #5630
· May 27, 2017
93/100
Rich, delicious, round, highly extracted blackberry fruit, excellent structure, slightly fat, long finish
2012 vintage
Taster #5733
· May 16, 2017
92/100
One of my favorites. Drinking great now.
2012 vintage
Taster #6478
· May 5, 2017
92/100
I concur with the preceding four reviews. This wine is in a great place right now! It is very good and deserves a "Wow!" But I can't rate it higher than I did because it is not one of those wines that makes you stop your conversation (or pull your pants down as CTer NERAS suggested) and just engulf your senses in the wine. Decanted for 3 hours. Fabulous rich nose with little or no heat. The flavors we got …
2012 vintage
Taster #9131
· Apr 22, 2017
94/100
In a great place now.
2012 vintage
Taster #8533
· Feb 14, 2017
92/100
Simply another very good and great value effort from HS. He simply never disappoints.
2012 vintage
Taster #6492
· Jan 13, 2017
96/100
Decanted for 3.5 hours. WOW! Absolutely a superb Sarah! Rich, well-balanced, long mouth-feel, dark fruit, soft tannins. Should hold up well for the next few years, but drinking perfectly now! You out-did yourself Russell!
2012 vintage