Placeholder Image

Radio-Coteau, “Dusty Lane” Syrah

Sonoma Coast, United States 2015 (750mL)
$58.00
/
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Radio-Coteau, “Dusty Lane” Syrah

Even if you’ve never tried a bottle, I guarantee you know the name Radio-Coteau. You’d have to go to extreme, deliberate measures just to keep them off your radar, but I’m not sure one would ever choose that route. There’s nothing not to love about owner Eric Sussman’s small project: He organically farms remote, detached-from-technology parcels; matures his wines long and slow, and bottles tiny amounts of precious juice that is largely absorbed through their mailing list.


What’s more, another hefty portion is strictly allocated out to fine wine lists, leaving a small scrapped-over trove for the rest of the world to devour. Take this 2015 Syrah from the cool-climate “Dusty Lane” vineyard in Sonoma Coast: Other than here, today, it is completely untraceable. Only three barrels were originally produced and we have access to about 10% of that. I guarantee that whatever we don’t sell—assuming they’re not all reserved by you—will be instantly whisked away by the distributor and allocated elsewhere. Once you taste the wine, you’ll understand why all this wild enthusiasm and demand is highly deserved. Radio-Coteau (with a respectful nod to Bien Nacido, too) bottles some of my all-time favorite Syrah—not just in California, but anywhere. Bring out your triple-digit Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, and Hermitage and tell me this doesn’t compete with, surpass, and even dominate several of them. For $65, do yourself a huge favor and invest in one of the most complete master classes on elite-level Syrah. It’s intense, meaty, savory, supremely elegant, and has the potential for 10-20 years of cellaring. What a luxury this is!


Forbes recently penned a glowing writeup on Radio-Coteau, and it was highlighted by one of the greatest compliments a winemaker can receive: Turns out, legend Angelo Gaja—among the most prominent names to ever grace this industry—is a die-hard fan of Radio-Coteau’s wines, to the point where he rang Eric up asking if he could import them to Italy!



Of course, this wasn’t by sheer luck: Eric spent years cultivating his diverse knowledge of wine. It began with organic viticulture at Cornell which resulted in him landing his first gig in Yakima Valley Washington in the early ‘90s. From there, he went international, to none other than  Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The following year, he skipped over to Burgundy, where he worked the ‘96 vintage with two exceptional domaines: Comte Armand in Pommard and Jacques Prieur in Meursault. 



He then returned stateside, to California, where he worked briefly at Bonny Doon before landing a winemaking position at Dehlinger. After four years here, he was ready to start a project of his own that incorporated everything he had learned over the past decade-plus. He was drawn to cool sites with rich, well-drained soils. Sites that were largely unaffected by modern day’s touch, where biodiversity thrived and natural farming felt, well, natural. And though his resume is loaded with big, flashy names, don’t mistake him for anything other than humble—especially when it comes to his creations. Bottom line: he doesn’t want these wines to be on a pedestal, he wants them to be enjoyed. 



“Dusty Lane” is a tiny hillside vineyard nestled near Sebastopol in the Sonoma Coast AVA. It’s farmed Certified Organic by John Dierke and Radio-Coteau has exclusive ownership over the crop. In 2015, 34% of the clusters were left whole during fermentation and the wine matured in three 500-liter puncheons, one of which was brand new, for 18 months. Following an unfined and unfiltered bottling, the wine was rested further before an official release. 



With the rich polish of Hermitage and the savory elegance of Côte-Rôtie/Cornas, Radio-Coteau’s 2015 “Dusty Lane” is a stunning Syrah powerhouse that shows impressive finesse at just 13.4% ABV. An explosion of dark brambly fruit flies out of the glass and is accompanied by grilled meat, wild herbs, olive, underbrush, and damp violets. Although incredibly enticing right out of the bottle, we urge you to allow it to open up for about 30-60 minutes in a decanter before taking your first sip. A bit of air really starts unwinding this beautiful beast and you’ll thank yourself once it hits your palate with black raspberry liqueur, huckleberry, black cherry, licorice, and red plum, all which are smeared on a finely crushed bed of stone and exotic baking spices.  It’s voluptuous, powerful, and sculpted with fine Syrah muscle that never once loses sight of its elegant side. Savor each long-lasting sip in large Bordeaux stems and I guarantee you’ll have a vivid memory that refuses to lose detail as time passes by. This is one of the great wines of the world—make sure you treat it as such!
Placeholder Image
Country
United States
Region
Sonoma Coast
Sub-Region
United States
Soil
Goldridge
Farming
Certified Organic
Blend
Syrah 100%
Alcohol
13.4
OAK
33% New Puncheon Barrels
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Bordeaux Stem
Drinking
Now-2035
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Duck Breast w/ Squash Purée

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Others We Love