Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Chien Lunatique (Napa Valley) 2004

There is a case to be made that Napa Valley’s highest and best use is producing world class Cabernet Sauvignon. Unlike the Medoc, however, Napa has never been a monoculture. This Behrens and Hitchcock Syrah sourced from the Page Nord Vineyard in the Napa Valley demonstrates that Napa vintners also can compete with the best Rhone, Australian, and Central Coast producers of world class Syrah. Despite the whopping 16.4% alcohol, which normally would have me complaining about the baleful influence of Robert Parker’s penchant for ultra-ripe wines, this is actually a remarkably balanced wine. Having said that, however, this still is a damn big fruit bomb. The intense bouquet fills the room and presages a powerful mouthful of complex flavors. Blackberry, black cherry, plum, and a dash of mocha java. Wow. Grade: A-/A