AMUSE BOUCHE® PharaohMoans WestSide Syrah 2012 (Paso Robles, California) – [WA 95] – 6045864427679

Notes from the Winery:
We have produced only 350 cases of our Rhone-style wine, which is aging gracefully in a combination of Tarransaud, Saury and L’Ermite French oak. Our vineyards are located in the West Paso Robles appellation whose sloping hills are broadly exposed to the Pacific ocean climatic influences.

“We” are John Schwartz, owner of Amuse Bouche Winery in Napa Valley, and Chef Bryan Ogden, recipient of the James Beard Award for best restaurant 2003. With our combined 35 years in the wine and food industry, we have teamed up with winemaker Guillaume Fabre.

The mutual objective was to create the best Syrah in California under the Paso Robles appellation. We have spared no expense, from farming to the bottle, to bring you a truly remarkable wine.

Tasting Notes:
A balanced, fruit-forward wine exhibiting flavors of cherry, raspberry purée, and melted chocolate with smokey and spicy aromas. Good acidity, firm tannins and a strong sense of minerality should allow this wine to age gracefully for 10-15 years.

Ratings & Reviews

95 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate:
“The brilliant 2012 PharaoMoans is a blend of 98% Syrah and 2% Grenache that was aged in 80% new French oak barrels prior to bottling. A big, rich and fleshy Paso red, it knocks it out of the park with its chocolaty dark fruits, pepper, olive and charred meat-like aromas and flavors. This isn’t for those craving delicacy, yet it stays clean and classy, with full-bodied richness, thrilling amounts of texture and a seamless, focused finish. There’s not a track record here with regards to aging, yet this should be better in another year and have at least a decade of prime drinking.” -Jeb Dennuck (Aug 2014)