Maggie Harrison was assistant winemaker to Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non for eight years before moving to Oregon to take over the wine making position at Antica Terra. Lillian Winery, founded in 2004, represents Maggie’s personal project and reflects everything that she learned during her time at Sine Qua Non.
The fruit for the Lillian Syrah comes from the White Hawk Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. The 77 acre vineyard was planted in 1997.
Opaque purple in color. 14.8% ABV. Sublime nose of blueberries, coffee, grilled meats and black olives. Rich, complex and smooth as silk. Full bodied with medium acidity. Black cherry, blueberry liqueur, cassis and charred meats on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long. Absolutely prodigious Syrah. Another brilliant wine from Maggie Harrision. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
My rating: 95 points.
Lillian belongs in the discussion of best domestic syrahs with the likes of Cayuse, Saxum and the aforementioned Sine Qua Non.
The wine is available via the web site once a year and current vintages run about $75. The 2014 was recently released to the mailing list and will likely be available at retail in Portland in the coming months.
I recently blogged about Lillian forgoing their mailing list which is great news for those of you looking to secure a few bottles.
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