2018 Fingers Crossed, Assortment Case

JD100 "Another killer wine, and one that tops out on my scale, the 2018 Syrah Off The Record checks in as 93% Syrah, 2% each of Grenache and Mourvèdre, and the rest 3% Roussanne that saw just 22% stems and spent 20 months in 68% new French oak. Dense purple-hued, with awesome notes of smoked black fruits, smoked game, ground pepper, beef blood, spice, and violets, this beauty is full-bodied and elegant, with a perfect mid-palate and a great, great finish. Only the second release from this winery, this incredible Syrah seemingly has one foot in California with its ripe, sexy fruit and one foot in the Northern Rhone with its gamy, meaty, peppery, and wildly complex style. While it doesn’t have the same weight as say Sine Qua Non, Alban, or Andremily, it’s flawlessly balanced, insanely complex, and has a style all its own. It will ideally be given 2-4 years of bottle age and will cruise for 10-15 years as well. Don’t miss it! While the name has been changed from Faethm to Fingers Crossed due to trademark issues, the quality of the wines here is still through the roof, and this estate is unquestionably one of the up and coming superstars of California. Run by Nicolas and Julia Krankl (Nicolas is the son of Sine Qua Non’s Manfred Krankl), Fingers Crossed produces rich, powerful wines that display a beautiful sense of freshness and elegance, incredible complexity, and, as I hope the reviews here show, world-class quality. But these are not Sine Qua Non copycats – they have their own style, slightly more Old World-styled and with notable stem influence, yet they still deliver serious amounts of classic California fruit. As with all great wines, they have singular characters. I was able to follow these bottles for multiple days, and they only improved, so give them plenty of air, or better yet, a handful of years in a cold cellar." JD Aug 2020
JD98 "Based on 75% Grenache, 11% Mourvèdre, 11% Syrah, and the rest 3% Roussanne, the 2018 Grenache Off The Record saw 45% whole cluster and aging all in barrel. It has a rich, savory, almost Rayas-like bouquet of gamey red and black fruits, ground pepper, toasted spice, spring flowers, and hints of bloody meat. Beautifully textured, full-bodied, and elegant on the palate, with plenty of stem influence, this complex, layered, brilliantly done 2018 is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 10-15 years. It’s a stunning example of Grenache from California!" JD Aug 2020
JD96 "Starting with the whites and a rich, powerful wine, the 2018 Roussanne Off The Record boasts a smoking nose of buttered almonds, caramelized lemons, brioche, and toasted spices. Just bottled, it's opulent and concentrated on the palate yet still flawlessly balanced and is a powerful yet elegant white that does everything right. The blend is 72% Roussanne, 24% Chardonnay, and 4% Viognier that was brought up in 75% new French oak, and it has more than a passing resemblance to Beaucastel’s Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes. While I’d enjoy bottles over the coming 3-5 years, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it evolve longer. While the name has been changed from Faethm to Fingers Crossed due to trademark issues, the quality of the wines here is still through the roof, and this estate is unquestionably one of the up and coming superstars of California. Run by Nicolas and Julia Krankl (Nicolas is the son of Sine Qua Non’s Manfred Krankl), Fingers Crossed produces rich, powerful wines that display a beautiful sense of freshness and elegance, incredible complexity, and, as I hope the reviews here show, world-class quality. But these are not Sine Qua Non copycats – they have their own style, slightly more Old World-styled and with notable stem influence, yet they still deliver serious amounts of classic California fruit. As with all great wines, they have singular characters. I was able to follow these bottles for multiple days, and they only improved, so give them plenty of air, or better yet, a handful of years in a cold cellar." JD Aug 2020
Fingers Crossed, Assortment Case