2017 Jeff Cohn - Syrah Sonoma Domaine des Chirats (750ml)

Domaine des Chirats is a joint project between Jeff Cohn, the Sonoma winemaker formerly of Rosenblum Cellars, and Yves Cuilleron, one of the leading names in France's Northern Rhône. The two met at the Hospice du Rhône event in Paso Robles back in 1998 and have collaborated on this Syrah ever since, blending Cohn's feel for California fruit with Cuilleron's old-world sensibility. The name, old French for "home of the pile of rocks," nods to the Rockpile AVA where the grapes grow.

Rockpile sits above the fog line in northwestern Sonoma County, an isolated, high-elevation AVA known for rocky, mineral-poor soils that stress the vines into small, concentrated berries. The 2017 was the fourth vintage of this Cohn-Cuilleron collaboration, made from Syrah grown on that steep, sun-drenched terrain. The wine is crafted in a full-bodied, structured style meant to echo the wild, savory character of Northern Rhône Syrah rather than a purely California fruit-forward profile.

The wine leads with blackberry and cassis, laced with tar, scorched earth, olive, and thyme, plus a whisper of violet and bay leaf. Full-bodied and grainy, it finishes long, with a distinct menthol edge. Serve it with braised lamb shank, grilled duck, or a peppery salami board.