2017 Fingers Crossed, Syrah, Santa Maria Valley, Bottle (750ml)

JD98 "The 2017 Syrah Fingers Crossed has lots of Bien Nacido character (although there’s plenty of The Third Twin and Cumulus Vineyard fruit in the blend) in its olive, marine, bloody meat, and violet-laced aromas and flavors. Deep, full-bodied, beautifully concentrated and, as with the Grenache, flawlessly balanced, it stays tight and compact on the palate and is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age. There’s nothing liking starting out with a bang, and that’s exactly what Nicolas and Julia Krankl have done with their inaugural release under the Faethm label. The son of Manfred Krankl at Sine Qua Non, Nicolas, along with his wife Julia, created Faethm in 2017, and their first release, which immediately sold out, went live in 2019. I can’t recall a new estate that has impressed me as much right out of the gate and these 2017 and 2018s are truly brilliant wines. And while Nicolas trained with his father at Sine Qua Non and has certainly followed in those footsteps, these are not carbon copy wines, and they have their own distinctive characters. The focus is on Rhône varieties and fruit sources include a who’s who list of great sites and include Cumulus Vineyard, White Hawk, The Third Twin, and Bien Nacido. Unfortunately, production is a tiny 250 cases, and I would assume it will grow slowly, so if you want some these wines, get on the mailing list ASAP."